


hate that i love you

by jls9697



Category: BLACKPINK (Band)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Jenlisa Adaptation, Jenlisa au, Kinda?, Slow Burn, a billion minor characters, some jensoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:15:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 118,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22257823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jls9697/pseuds/jls9697
Summary: A fanfic based on a Korea tv show. This is Full House, Jenlisa style.Jennie Kim, notorious Hollywood playgirl has had her share of scandals in the past. She moves into a picturesque house on the outskirts of Los Angeles, which she bought on impulse. It happened to carry something else with it though - a blonde-hair brown-eyed writer that turns her life (her heart, most especially) upside down.Lisa's scheming friends had sold her house. In order to get it back, she agreed to fake-marry Hollywood playgirl Jennie Kim for a year to help the actress tone down her notorious reputation. It seemed so simple. Complications arise as real feelings get involved.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Lalisa Manoban | Lisa
Comments: 169
Kudos: 365





	1. PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> ALL RIGHTS TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR!!!
> 
> I first read this incredible fanfic in 2012. After rediscovering it a few days ago and reading it again I realised how perfectly this would work as a Jenlisa fic. All credits to the rightful author, I merely changed the names and altered some characteristics to better fit the new people. Some characters are OOC, the people I chose are based purely on how I thought they could work within the fic. Enjoy!! I will probably update a few times a week.

_I'll give you this house back if it means that much you. After all, it is your parents' home. You grew up here." The striking brunette sounded patronizing as she looked intently at the blonde, both of them standing in her bedroom._

_Jennie didn't get an answer right away. She held the reproachful look being thrown her way by the not-so-pleased Lisa Manoban._

_"What's the catch?" Lisa didn't even bother to hide the distrust in her voice._

_They were back at Lisa's home, well, now Jennie's home, trying to stare each other down. Everything happened so fast. She still couldn't process the events that took place earlier at the party. The party hadn't even reached its peak when they had to leave. She had yet to meet agents and moviemakers whom she hoped could help her with her writing career, when all of a sudden, she was caught in a frenzy of flashing lights, and in a liplock with no other than Hollywood's notorious playgirl, Jennie Kim._

_She had no idea how they escaped the mob of paparazzi. It was all a haze to her, but she remembered being outside the office of Jennie's agent and friend, Taehyung Kim, listening to their loud voices as they argued. Joohyun Bae, Jennie's manager, was also there. And now she found herself here, negotiating with the actress, so that she could get her house back. It wasn't cheap. So she couldn't help but feel apprehensive as to what Jennie would ask her to do in return._

_"Marry me."_

_Lisa's eyes widened. If she'd been drinking anything, she would've died choking._

_"Excuse me?" The blonde managed to squeak out after her shock. The proposal was anything but romantic. It was spoken in the most nonchalant tone possible. She didn't know whether to be flattered or angry._

_Jennie made it sound like it was an ordinary thing for her. Did marriage mean nothing to the brunette at all?_

_Jennie rolled her eyes at the blonde's reaction._

_"I said, let's get married."_

_"Are you high?" It was the craziest suggestion she'd ever heard. They kissed. That definitely didn't mean they had to marry each other. Where was this even coming from?_

_"Do you want your house back or not?" The brunette was clearly starting to get annoyed when she didn't get the response she wanted. Her impatience clear in the tone of her voice._

_"The answer to that question is easy. I don't understand why you're talking about marriage with me though."_

_"Hollywood exploded with the news of our engagement tonight. Haven't you heard?"_

_"Engagement?"_

_"Thanks for wearing my engagement ring when I told you to leave it alone, by the way", came brunette's acerbic response. This situation was really frustrating for her. Sure, it was her fault that they got the attention of every news/gossip crew and paparazzi at the party when she kissed Lisa out of nowhere to get out of a certain situation. But there wouldn't have been any mention of an engagement if it weren't for Lisa's foolishness. She wore the ring, meant for Jisoo, that Jennie had thrown away two days ago._

_"Oh, so you're blaming me, then? You kissed me." Lisa's thoughts went back to what happened at the party, and now, just couldn't believe the shameless proposition. How could someone propose marriage that easily?_

_"You enjoyed it." Jennie shrugged with a self-satisfied look on her face. Lisa couldn't help but roll her eyes. Sure, Jennie's plump lips were way beyond kissable and she had thought about kissing Jennie before—just to know how it would feel. But her annoyance with Jennie's over-the-top narcissism still trumped the physical attraction._

_"Your ego seems to occupy the biggest portion of your brain."_

_"Look, I've been involved in too many scandals this year and my PR is on my ass telling me that it's a bit too much, even for me."_

_"I'm sorry, but I think I missed the part that involves me."_

_"We're engaged. Or at least that's what people are thinking now. The gossip sites are already making up polls asking fans to vote how long they think I could last before I actually call off the engagement. I'm not going to give them that satisfaction."_

_"Why not tell the world the truth?"_

_"Explaining that kiss and how that ring found its way to your finger would be tricky. And I don't think that would help diffuse the situation. And if you think that telling people about my failed proposal to Jisoo would be the solution, you must be delusional."_

_"If you really wanted to propose to her, why didn't you? She might have said yes."_

_"She doesn't love me that way."_

Jisoo was in love with Sehun. She had been for a very long time.

_Jennie let out a defeated sigh._

_"I'm sick of the scandals. I'm sick of the bad publicity. Half of them may be true but I'm not all that bad. I'm not as notorious as they make me out to be."_

_"I don't see how marriage would help you. Or me, for that matter." Observant brown eyes remained fixed on the brunette, who seemed resigned to the idea of marriage._

_"We'll let people believe that we're in love with each other and we'll live in this house together. They'd think I'd gone soft since I'm finally settling down."_

_"But I don't even like you and I can't stand you."_

_"I'm an actress and a good one at that. I don't think you're that bad."_

_"Are you trying to get into my pants, Kim? Divas are not really my type."_

_"Don't flatter yourself because I don't care much about you either. There's not going to be any funny business, we'll just pretend. We'll even have separate rooms. If you can do that for a year, then I'll give you this house back. No questions asked." Cat-like eyes remained unblinking, locked with a pair of brown, expecting a response._

_The proposal earned the actress a wary and suspicious look from the blonde, so she continued._

_"One year and then we'll get a divorce. I'll give you this house back as alimony. I'll move out and disappear from your life forever. All you have to do is say yes."_

_"That's tempting, but I don't really trust you." Brown eyes narrowed at Jennie._

_"I guess the feeling is mutual. But since we've already gotten ourselves into this mess, we might as well go all out, for both our benefits. It's a win-win situation."_

_"Correction, **you** got us into this." _

_Lisa crossed her arms, her mind going through the advantages and disadvantages of marrying Jennie Kim and staying with her for a year._

_Getting her parents' house back doesn't sound so bad. She wouldn't have to pay a cent and her house wasn't exactly cheap. It'd probably take her more than ten years to pay for it, and she was sure Jennie wasn't interested in selling it back to her anyway._

_Besides, being 'married' to a Hollywood A-lister with big connections might help with her writing career._

_Also, she might actually be able to help the infamous playgirl._

_"What would your agent say when we finally get a divorce?" Lisa asked. Jennie was apparently doing this for her career and her image. But what would happen after the divorce?_

_"I'm sure Tae would find a way to make me look like a heartbroken divorcee and work it to my benefit."_

_"I need a contract."_

_"Contract?"_

_"I need proof."_

_"Proof?"_

_"I need a black and white document that this set-up will be over in a year and that you wouldn't go back on your promise."_

_"Like I'd stay married to you beyond that period, anyways. I'd barely survive one year!" Jennie rolled her eyes at the blonde._

_"This isn't really the time for insults, Jennie." Brown eyes narrowed with a warning at the actress._

_"Fine. Make a contract. I don't care... Just don't fall in love with me." Jennie crossed her arms._

_"Me, falling in love with you? Do you even hear yourself?"_

_"I saw you checking me out at that party."_

_"Ugh, you're insufferable!" Lisa felt her face burning in embarrassment having been caught. She wouldn't admit to it anyway. She caught a lopsided smirk forming on Jennie's face. Oh how she wanted to wipe the smugness off that gorgeous brunette._

_"Just make the damn contract, will you?"_

As Lisa affixed her signature to the contract she drafted (with an addendum that the contract would be null and void upon discovery by a third person) her eyes fell on the person sitting across from her, busy signing her name. And for a brief moment, Lisa recalled how she got into this situation with the Hollywood playgirl in the first place.

She reminded herself of her plans to hunt Bambam and Chaeyoung after this. Because if her supposed friends hadn't conned her, her house would still be hers, she would still have a place to live, and she wouldn't have to sell her soul to the _great Jennie Kim_.

Asian Fusion was so going to pay for this.

But first, we go back to where this all began…


	2. ATTRACTIONS, DISTRACTIONS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC  
> Already back for an update lol.  
> The future chapters are a lot longer than the prologue, as you can already see from this first chapter. Hopefully that's okay, I'd prefer to keep the chapters divided as they are since that's how the original author thought them out! Anyway, enjoy! This is only the beginning ;)

It wasn't her first time flying, but she sure as hell wasn't feeling right about it.

Lisa Manoban sat by the window, first-class, on a plane bound for Hawaii, waiting for take-off. It wasn't her idea, but somehow her friends, Bambam and Chaeyoung, convinced her to get out of town. Maybe they had a point. She did need some time away to clear her head and get over her writer's block; and spending some time in a new place might help her get some perspective. However, she couldn't help but be suspicious, especially when they paid for her plane ticket and arranged her hotel accommodations.

First of all, those two brought nothing in her life but trouble. And second, it was the first time they really thought of Lisa's (or her career's) welfare.

Trying to relax, Lisa picked up the copy of that day's LA Times, turned the pages to the entertainment section, and snorted upon seeing the bold letters pertaining to that notorious Hollywood playgirl dominating that section again, seen recently with her 'flavor of the week'. Some people just didn't know how easy they had it.

Lisa stared at the beautiful picture of the movie star printed on the newspaper. She was undeniably gorgeous and was an amazing actress. She heard the girl sing a couple of times on a TV show, which the actress was once a part of before she shot to fame; and she was flawless. Looking into striking cat-like brown eyes as if the actress was staring back at her, Lisa couldn't understand how this girl could be so uncontrollable and careless as to let herself get involved in so many Hollywood scandals that would have buried her career six feet under, if it weren't for her natural talent.

It was unbelievable how Jennie Kim managed to keep her career afloat after she came out, and with those nasty break-ups and meaningless flings sensationalized in the tabloids and internet gossip sites.

Well, scandalous or not, she had to admit, she'd definitely want the Korean in her screenplay, that is, if she actually gets to write one. She was stuck at the moment, thus, the Hawaii trip. Since she was young, she had always dreamt of becoming a writer. She thought of her late father, how he would smile when one of her scripts would turn into a movie. The thought of him made her smile.

One day, she's going to make him proud.

With the newspaper still in her hands, the blonde writer made herself more comfortable in the plush chair. It wasn't everyday that she got to travel first-class, after all.

Lisa was immersed in her reading when somebody took the aisle seat beside her. The first thing that got her attention was the whiff of expensive feminine perfume, which forced her to tear herself from her reading, and be mesmerized by a pair of mocha orbs, staring back at her.

For a moment, their eyes locked.

She felt her heart stop.

Lisa had never seen anyone so stunningly beautiful in her life. When she allowed herself to blink, the cat-shaped eyes were focused somewhere else, and the blonde writer found herself staring at the astonishing right profile of no other than-

Her eyes snapped back to the paper she was holding, turned the pages back to the entertainment section that she had been reading a while ago, examined the picture of the actress, and then looked back at the incredibly fragrant and dazzling woman now sitting beside her.

_Fuck._

Jennie Kim was right next to her, totally oblivious to the hyperventilating blonde gawking at her. The newspaper photo did not give the brunette justice at all. The actress was a hundred times more beautiful in person. And she didn't even have make-up on. Sensing that she was being stared at, the actress turned her head towards Lisa and caught the blonde's eyes locked at the sight of her lips.

Annoyed at the blatant ogling, the brunette did not bother to hide the frown that formed on her face.

"Can I help you with something?"

The blonde almost fainted as she watched plump lips move as if in slow motion, without really hearing the words that came out of them.

The brunette actress rolled her eyes at the lack of response. She was used to people gaping at her, but this one's just making her feel too self-conscious. The look on the blonde's face was almost funny. Lisa would have laughed at the girl's open-mouthed leering, but it wasn't a good day for her and she just wasn't in the mood. She decided to ignore the blonde and just listen to her iPod.

The voice of a flight attendant on the speakers giving out instructions before take-off broke Lisa out of her trance. Her ears immediately turned red after she realized what she had been doing. She cleared her throat and tried to act nonchalant with her recent fangirling. She shook her head at herself in disbelief; she was never the one to fangirl.

_But damn those lips._

Lisa heaved a sigh. She was tempted to catch a glimpse of those lips again, but restrained herself. Instead, she leaned back and closed her eyes, if only to quell the sudden and strange feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

This was going to be one long flight.

Thirty minutes into the flight, Lisa was snoring lightly. Jennie grudgingly pulled the earphones off and turned to give the blonde a piece of her mind, but before she could open her mouth and throw daggers at her direction, she stopped.

As though she had suddenly forgotten, her annoyance and without any idea of what possessed her to actually stare, she found that the blonde sleeping next to her was actually beautiful. Had she met her in a club, Jennie would have flirted with her and taken her home. But the player part of her seemed to have taken a day off, which is a very rare occasion.

The last thing she needed was another woman to turn her life upside down.

Averting her eyes away from the sleeping blonde, her thoughts went back to the last conversation she had with her childhood friend, Jisoo, before her flight to Hawaii. She could still hear Jisoo's sweet voice in her head so she closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep.

It didn't work though.

_Jennie was standing in front of a large mirror inside Jisoo Kim's shop, inspecting the dress that her designer friend made for her. The older brunette was not famous yet, but she was getting_ _there, thanks to Jennie who chose to wear her designs to every big Hollywood event she had to attend._

" _You're stunning."_

_The actress blushed at the compliment and tried to avoid looking at brown eyes staring at her through the mirror, silently wishing that Jisoo was too busy assessing her creation to notice it._

" _Tell me something I don't know." She stepped away from the mirror, looking satisfied at the look her childhood friend suggested she wear to her Saturday Night Live stint to be taped tomorrow._

" _Always the confident one, Jendeuk." Jisoo chuckled while shaking her head._

" _I've got to be. It's a tough Hollywood world, baby girl." Jennie went to the black leather couch in the waiting area of Jisoo's shop, with the older brunette in tow. She flopped herself onto the cushiony seat, making herself comfortable._

_Jisoo sat down on the couch next to her._

" _Hey." Jisoo playfully kicked Jennie’s right foot._

" _What?" The actress feigned annoyance._

" _Who was that girl you were photographed with last week?" Jisoo wiggled her eyebrows at her friend, who was now looking very flustered._

" _No one." She replied in a dismissive tone._

" _Well, 'no one' actually looks like someone I know… Sooyoung Park?" The designer bumped her shoulder against Jennie, who had been trying her best not to look at Jisoo._

_Jennie just shrugged._

" _I didn't know you were dating her."_

" _We're not dating." Jennie grumbled. Embarrassed, she took out her iPhone and pretended to be texting, hoping Jisoo would just drop the topic._

" _Oh, you're not? Too bad. I like her." Jisoo sounded genuinely disappointed._

But I like you. _Jennie thought._

" _You know, one day you're going to have to stop flirting around. I want you to have a real girlfriend. Someone who can make you smile. I don't want you getting lonely." The older Korean_ _reached to tuck the stray hair on Jennie's face. The back of Jisoo’s right hand grazed Jennie’s right cheek, making the brunette feel like it was burning._

" _You make me smile. Would you be my girlfriend then?" Jennie smiled, half-joking and half-meaning it. Who knows, maybe Jisoo would say yes._

_That was wishful thinking, of course._

" _If I was a lesbian, I'd date you first. You know that, Jen."_

" _I'm just going to have to wait for you then. You can always be one of them late-in-life gays." She winked at Jisoo._

_Jisoo laughed and smacked her playfully in the arm._

" _You're so funny. By the way, Jihyo called me yesterday. She wanted to make sure that we're still doing that annual New Year's Eve party at Valencia."_

" _It's only August." Jennie just had to frown._

" _She's that excited to see the whole Motley Crue. I missed Jin. We should have a get-together. What do you think?" Ideas for a get-together were already running through Jisoo's head._

_Jisoo was referring to their childhood friends. All of them grew up together in Valencia, spending summers in their family ranches that happened to be close to each other. They formed an amazing bond that they managed to maintain in their years of growing up. Growing apart was something that their friend, Nayeon Im, now a Broadway star, actually anticipated. So she started this annual New Year's Eve party during senior year, hoping that it would keep them bonded. It wasn't a bad idea. Everyone basically agreed to it without any second thoughts. Now they see everybody every year, and Jennie, while she wouldn't openly admit it, looked forward to it everytime._

" _I don't think that's a good idea."_

" _Why not?"_

" _Well, for one, I intend to enjoy the last remaining days Nayeon Im-free, before that New Year's Eve party."_

" _You love Nayeon."_

" _Ugh. 'Nayeon' and 'love' should not go together in one sentence." Jennie pretended to vomit that got Jisoo laughing._

" _I swear, you have this sort of love-hate relationship with her."_

" _As much as I hate to admit it, I do love being friends with her but she's just so loud, I can't stand her voice. Maybe we'd get along better if she taped her mouth when we talk."_

_Jisoo smiled at the jabs at Nayeon, and then became quiet. Jennie noticed as the older brunette let herself get lost in her thoughts. When her eyes looked back up to meet Jennie's brown ones, the spark was gone, and Jennie immediately knew why._

" _Uhm, so, have you heard from Sehun?" The designer tried to act casual while asking about Sehun Oh, another one of their childhood friends, but of course, she wouldn't fool Jennie. Jennie could fairly trace the pain in that voice._

_She took a while to answer._

" _Actually, I'm meeting him in Hawaii. I would be doing some interviews there to promote my new movie." Last time Jennie heard, Sehun successfully started a publishing business on the island. It had been three years since he moved there._

" _Oh. Tell him I said hi." Jisoo smiled._

" _Okay."_

_They let the silence linger between them for a moment. It was Jisoo who spoke again first._

" _I'm going to New York."_

" _What?" Jennie turned to her friend in surprise. That didn't sound good to her at all._

" _I wanted to take a few classes. You know, take my mind off things…"_

" _What about your shop?"_

" _I'm still coming back here every now and then. I just need a distraction, something to break the monotony that is my life." Jisoo had to keep herself busy. She needed to bury herself with work, to have a reason not to think of a certain childhood friend who's now too far beyond her reach._

" _How long will you stay there?" Noticeably, Jennie’s voice dropped in a whisper. She knew why Jisoo needed a distraction. She knew the reason behind it._

_Jennie could not remember exactly when Jisoo started having those feelings for Sehun. The older brunette never really talked about it, but it was so damn obvious. How could Sehun take her for granted? Jisoo was the sweetest, nicest, most lovable person anyone would ever meet. Did their friend Sehun think Jisoo wasn't good enough for him? Jennie wanted to make him see how lucky he was that someone was actually this patient to wait for him. Sehun was the reason for all the sadness in Jisoo's eyes. She had no idea when it started but she became protective of the designer. She wanted nothing but Jisoo's happiness._

_She loved Jisoo. The extent of those feelings was still undefined but she loved her and she wanted to keep her happy._

_Jennie worried over who would look after Jisoo when she went to New York._

" _I don't know." That was Jisoo’s answer, and Jennie didn't like it._

Jennie groaned in frustration when she felt the pair of brown eyes on her again. Trying not to get riled up, Jennie opened her eyes and calmly turned her face to the blonde sitting next to her.

"I'm flattered with the attention, but can you please stop staring at me?"

The sharp tone of the actress made Lisa jump. She almost forgot about Jennie's bad-ass reputation when she let herself got lost in those pair of cat-like eyes before. Yup, her eyes can do that.

"Sorry…" Lisa mumbled in embarrassment. When she woke up from her short nap, her eyes automatically turned towards the direction of the brunette, probably to confirm whether the memory of seeing Jennie was just a dream. Apparently, it wasn't.

And she was actually feeling the dagger looks the brunette was sending her way. Lisa immediately turned away.

"Hi. Would you like something to drink?"

Lisa looked up at the flight attendant who was smiling at them. Jennie answered first. For the first time since the plane took off, she saw a smile formed in the face of the movie star who requested for a bottle of water.

And for the nth time, the blonde's eyes flickered down soft, plump, red lips…

"Miss?"

"Huh?"

"Drinks?" The flight attendant smiled at her with a concerned look on her face. On the other hand, Jennie raised an eyebrow at Lisa.

"Oh. Uh, just Coke, please. Thanks." She smiled gratefully as she was handed the can of coke.

But Lisa was so clumsy, she actually dropped it. The can rolled back and forth a few times on the floor, shaking the contents inside, before Lisa was able to snatch it back up.

Jennie rolled her eyes. She should have paid enough attention though.

It was too late for Jennie when Lisa's Coke sprayed out of its can to her direction after the blonde opened it, wetting her in the crotch area. The blonde looked on in fear as the actress tried in vain to wipe the soda off her pants and shirt, anger evident on her face.

"Fuck! What the fuck, seriously?" Jennie tried to grab every tissue she could reach but it wasn't really helping. She saw a flight attendant try to approach but stopped her with her hand. The last thing she needed is a good-looking female in skimpy skirts touching her lower region.

But that's exactly what clumsy blonde tried to do, making Jennie almost jump out of her seat. The brunette swatted the pale hands away before it could touch her.

"I'm sorry! I didn't do it intentionally. I-"

"If you wanted me naked, you could have just asked." Jennie snarled at the blonde, whose eyes widened at what she had just said.

"What?" Lisa squeaked.

"Isn't that what you're trying to do here?" Jennie replied as if stating the obvious. The innocent look on the blonde's flustered face suddenly turned scorching.

"Excuse me? What do you take me for?" Lisa took a jab at Jennie's right shoulder, making the brunette wince.

"Oww! Why are you so violent? You know, your deflection would have worked if you hadn't been literally drooling at me since you saw me." Jennie rubbed the part of her shoulder that was hit by clumsy blonde.

_Damn, she has a mean right hook._

"Wow. I didn't realize how big your head is. Can you move? Because it's taking up all of my space!"

"Whatever." Jennie got up from her seat and grudgingly snatched her hand-carry bag, marching to the direction of the bathroom. She was lucky she decided to bring some change of clothes or else, paparazzi at the airport would feast on photos of her wet crotch.

That would definitely drive Taehyung nuts.

The bathroom was cramped and was not the most comfortable place to change clothes, but Jennie really had no choice. She couldn't bend enough to pull her pants down without hitting her head somewhere. A few minutes and tons of sweat later, she managed to get into a fresh pair of pants and a new t-shirt, wiping the sticky Coke from her skin with tissues.

Changing clothes had never been so difficult.

Looking up at the mirror on top of the sink, Jennie went on to fix her hair, which was now going in all directions. She was still seething with rage at the blonde. Her mind went back to the reaction on blondie's face after the initial gush of Coke went straight into her crotch area.

That facial expression brought an involuntary smile in her face.

Shaking her head, she began packing all of her things into her hand-carry bag. Before leaving the bathroom, and since she was already there, she decided to take a pee. Jennie lifted the toilet cover, and just as she pulled her pants down, somebody came bursting into the small bathroom, toppling her over into the toilet.

Apparently, Jennie failed to properly snap the lock into place.

"Shit!" Jennie's hands scrambled to hold onto something to prevent her from falling further. "Someone has a fucking death wish today!" Outraged, Jennie, while covering herself, prepared for an onslaught of her rather rich vocabulary of curse words, only to be stopped by the look on the intruder's face.

Surprise, surprise.

Clumsy blonde was looking at her with comically wide eyes and she looked like she was sick. For a fleeting moment, brown eyes traveled downward and Jennie scrambled to make sure she wasn't exposed.

Realizing what was about to happen by the color of the blonde's cheeks and the look on her face, Jennie gave Lisa the worst, most evil, warning look she could muster and just in time, the blonde turned to the direction of the sink and began vomiting.

"Euuww!" Jennie didn't feel like peeing now. So she got up from the toilet and made sure Lisa wasn't looking as she pulled her pants up. As much as she wanted to run out of there, because the stench is seriously making her want to puke herself, she couldn't. Clumsy blonde was blocking her way, and the bathroom was so small. She could barely move when she was alone, more so that blondie decided to join her.

The brunette was now breathing through her mouth.

"Can you move your ass? Because it's stinking in here and I need fresh air!"

"And yours smells better?" Lisa croaked as she buried her head into the sink.

The sound of Lisa's voice shut the brunette's mouth and Jennie actually paid attention to what was happening to her. Lisa's blonde hair was falling down into the sink and for an unknown reason, even to the actress, Jennie was fast enough to hold the blonde hair back for Lisa.

Needless to say, Lisa was surprised.

_Ugh, this is disgusting._ Jennie didn't even know what forced her to hold clumsy blonde's hair. Was it concern? That's far-fetched.

"Are you like, pregnant or something?" The brunette now stood at the side of the writer, looking everywhere else but the sink.

"What? No!" That was the blonde's muffled response.

"Hey, I was just asking. Don't get all too defensive."

It took a little while longer before Lisa started feeling better. Jennie stayed with her, on her own free will, though with a big frown on her face. Lisa felt so embarrassed that she avoided looking at her when she thanked the actress.

As they left the bathroom, with Lisa first and then Jennie, the brunette found one of the female flight attendants outside, looking at her with amusement. She decided to ignore the attendant, but before she could step further away, she heard the attendant calling her.

"Uhm, Ms. Kim?"

"What?" Jennie growled in annoyance.

"Your, uh…" The flight attendant couldn't verbalize what she wanted to say, so she just pointed to her lower region.

Jennie frowned. Was the flight attendant actually making an indecent proposal or something? Because after what happened in the bathroom, she wasn't really in the mood.

"Your fly, ma'am…" Finally, the flight attendant managed to squeak out.

Upon hearing and realizing what the flight attendant had been trying to say, she immediately buttoned her pants and rushed back to her seat, her face burning in embarrassment.

Jennie and Lisa tried their best to avoid each other for the rest of their flight.

Hawaii…

Lisahad been trying to reach Bambam and Chaeyoung through their cellphones, but she couldn't contact them. She assumed they would be in her house back at Eagle Rock since they were the ones who volunteered to housesit for her. She was becoming more and more impatient by the minute.

The blonde was currently occupying a table outside Kimo Bean along Mauna Lani Drive. She was so hungry when she arrived. She had thrown up almost everything on the plane and found herself here, ordering coffee and some muffins.

She liked Hawaii so far, and she had some time to explore the island, making her wish that she wasn't alone. But she had to remind herself of why she was here: to clear her head and get some inspiration. Still, it wouldn't have been too bad to have someone warm beside her at night.

When was the last time she actually had a relationship? Oh, right, when she was 23 years old, which was two years ago. She almost got married then, to this musician, a beach blonde guy with huge kissable lips. His name was Baekhyun. Lisa will never forget the look on his face when she decided to break it off, breaking his heart in the process.

It just didn't feel right.

So the last two years had been nothing but a few dates here and there. She had a short-time girlfriend named Mina, but it was never really serious. She also dated Momo, a drummer of some band whose name she always had a hard time remembering. And yeah, she had one date with that guy she was classmates with in highschool, but she just wasn't interested.

Lisa sighed.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

The male voice made her look up, and her eyes were met by a pair of soulful dark orbs. Standing by her table was man wearing expensive gray suit, smiling at her. He had a to-go cup in his hands and did not look threatening. Actually, he looked very charming. Lisa guessed he must have truckloads of women swooning over him.

Lisa let her eyes travel around her surroundings. It was a sunny day and the atmosphere of the place was so laid-back. While the man's outfit was so out of place, she was sure he just dropped by to get his coffee fix and wasn't really planning to blend in.

"It is." The blonde let the smile grace her lips.

"A beautiful woman like you should be hitting the beach by now. The waves are perfect."

"And a suit-wearing guy like you should be inside an air-conditioned room because it must feel scorching wearing that." She joked.

He laughed.

"I'm Sehun, by the way. Sehun Oh." He extended his hand for her to shake, which Lisa gladly accepted.

"Lisa Manoban."

"Tourist?"

"Yup. True-blue Californian."

"Really? I am too." Sehun was smiling at her fondly that Lisa felt a bit shy all of a sudden. He wasn't really making an effort to hide his admiration.

They exchanged shy smiles.

"I was actually headed to see a friend. Maybe I'll see you around?" He sounded hopeful and looked reluctant to leave.

"Yeah. But I'll only be here in few days, so…"

"Maybe in California then?" Sehun smiled that charming smile again, and the blonde couldn't stop the blushing of her face.

"Okay."

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Lisa."

"It was nice to meet you too, Sehun."

For the first time in a long time, Lisa felt giddy. She could not contain the smile on her face for the rest of the day.

Jennie was pacing her spacious penthouse unit at the Mauna Lani Bay Resort when Michael Jackson's Bad started playing on her cellphone. She didn't have to look at the caller ID to know that it was Taehyung calling, although she wondered why he was. Barely two hours since she touched down in Honolulu and her agent was calling.

_What did I do this time?_

"Hey little bee." Jennie tried to sound chipper for her friend's sake, using the nickname ”bee” that started as a joke but is now almost exclusively how they address eachother. Knowing Tae, he would be able to trace the anxiety in her voice despite of how good of an actress she is. But she wasn't really planning on discussing the reason behind her mood, i.e. Jisoo's New York move, to anyone. Taehyung didn't know how she felt about Jisoo.

Truth is, Taehyung didn't know how she felt about any of the ladies she dated and not dated because she just didn't want to talk about it. It was the part of her life that Jennie wanted private, and she wanted to keep it that way. Unfortunately for her though, the paparazzi had better ninja skills than she did and she always ended up getting photographed with whomever she was dating at the moment.

It wasn't her fault that she couldn't really stay with them longer, thus, the long line of normal as well as psychotic ex-girlfriends and one-night stands.

" _Guess who's the newest member of the Mile High Club?"_ Taehyung asked.

"Who cares?" The sarcasm did not get past Jennie, but she did not even have any idea what her friend was talking about. So she thought maybe it was just some gossip Tae picked out from the grapevine.

" _You."_ The rise in his voice only meant that he was infuriated.

"What?" A crease formed in Jennie's forehead. She stopped pacing her temporary living room, looking outside the glass wall into the beautiful ocean with a confused expression on her face.

" _Can't you keep it in your pants for like, a few days? Or at least until you get into a hotel."_

"I don't even know what you're talking about, bee." She whined. If she did something wrong, it's her right to at least know what she had done, right?

" _Some 'source' spilled to Radar that on your plane to Hawaii, you came out of the bathroom with a beautiful blonde girl and there was no mistaking as to what you had been doing in there with her. Disheveled hair, flustered face, your fly was open, and you hogged the bathroom for more than thirty minutes!"_

Jennie paused in thought, trying to recall the events during her five-hour trip to Hawaii. Then suddenly, realization hit her. That flight attendant better not show her face to her ever again.

Taehyung was talking about clumsy, beautiful and sexy blonde girl that got her all wet.

With Coke.

"Fuck… and you believed that? You believed that gossip site that makes up stories of my clandestine affairs with men? Seriously, _with men_ , after I came out? Nothing happened inside. I was peeing and that girl just burst in and puked. It was disgusting. Thanks for reminding me by the way. Now I'm skipping dinner." Jennie winced at the memory, taking a glance at her watch.

Sehun would be arriving any minute now.

" _Wow, I didn't know you were that bad."_ Taehyungwas genuinely laughing now, forgetting that just a while ago, he was chastising Jennie about her newly-acquired Mile High Club 'membership'.

"I'm not bad and nothing happened! I didn't get any action on that plane so don't get your panties in a twist. How was I even supposed to do that with highly restricted space? Was it reported anywhere else?" Jennie readjusted the reading glasses that were perched on the bridge of her nose.

" _No, thank god. Joohyun managed to silence the other sites and the sleazy tabloids that might run with it. I think we got it covered. Just try to keep a low profile when you decide to play around in there, okay? And, always use protection!"_ He joked, eliciting a chuckle from Jennie.

"You make me sound like a sex addict."

" _Oh, you aren't?"_ He sounded shocked.

"Haha, funny Tae." Jennie heard the knocks on her door. "Hey bee, I think Sehun’s here. Let's talk later, okay?" She walked to the direction of the door.

" _Okay. Before I let you go, I want you to know that your new house is ready so you can move in anytime. I personally supervised the redesign, as you requested. And just as you wanted, it's in a quiet area in Eagle Rock and your nearest neighbor is like half a mile away. Perfectly manicured lawn and landscape and it has a river out back. So, have fun, bee. Buh-bye."_

They hung up. When she told Taehyung that she wanted to get away from LA and find a place where she could have some peace and quiet when she's not working, he immediately suggested Eagle Rock. It wasn't so far away from LA and Jongin Kim did mention once when they were still filming their blockbuster action movie last year that he had lived in Eagle Rock at one point in his life. Taehyung got her some photos of houses there that were up for sale, and there was this one house that immediately stood out.

She didn't have to think twice. She had to buy it and she did.

Jennie paused before the door and let out a deep breath before opening it. And she was right. Standing at her doorway was one of her childhood friends, Sehun Oh, in his expensive, gray business suit.

"Hi, Jennie." Sehun smiled at her.

She hoped her smile didn't look so fake when she let him in.

Sehun stopped in front of her glass-paneled wall overlooking the ocean.

"Nice view." He then turned, giving Jennie one of his charming smiles. She almost rolled her eyes at him. Sehun eyed the white couch in Jennie's penthouse living room.

"May I?" He asked.

"Of course."

Sehun took a seat and Jennie followed him. Trying to avoid being close, the actress took the adjacent chair.

"Glad you ditched the bowlcut." Jennie started. Despite her recent dislike for her friend, she still liked him. They went through so much together after all. They were so close during highschool, actually, and he was one of the first few persons she had told about her sexuality. He was very accepting.

She reminded herself why she didn't like him now. _Jisoo_. Sehun was the one causing sadness in Jisoo's life and she couldn't help but blame him.

But what did he really do? Jisoo's feelings had always been one-sided. Sehun never once expressed any interest for their childhood friend but that didn't stop Jisoo from falling.

_What a lucky bastard._

"I had to. It doesn't really help with the business." Sehun laughed. "So, you're here for your new movie? I heard the critics loved it."

"Yeah, I'm just doing some interviews."

"I'll make time to see it. You know I always support you." Sehun smiled at her.

"Thanks, Sehun." She genuinely returned the smile. But damn, it's hard to not like him when he's this nice. "So, do you want something to eat or drink?"

"Don't bother. I can't stay long. I just wanted to see you. It's been a long time."

"How long has it been? You skipped last year's New Year's Eve party. Nayeon was mad." Jennie took her reading glasses off and placed it on the coffee table, together with her cellphone, next to the book she had been reading a while ago.

"Yeah. She made sure I knew that when she called me the same day."

"You should be there this year. Jisoo misses you already." She hated saying the last part, but it was true.

"Really? How is she?"

"She's doing fine. You should call her." Jennie encouraged him. He looked like he was considering it.

"Maybe I should."

Now Jennie did not know whether to be happy about that or not.

_Wow, these feelings are conflicting. That's why I don't do feelings._

"Or maybe I should just talk to her in person." Sehun got up from the couch and walked back to the window. He stood looking out of the view, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"What?"

"I'm coming back to LA."

"You're coming back to LA?" Jennie sat restlessly on the chair. She couldn't believe what she just heard. After years of living in Hawaii, Sehun finally decided to move back to Los Angeles.

And back to Jisoo's life.

"Yes." Sehun turned towards Jennie's direction, a frown plastered on his face. "You didn't sound happy to hear that."

"What? I'm happy. Of course, I'm happy… Uh… When are you moving back?"

"In a few days."

"But what about your business here? I heard you're doing great here."

"It's stable. There's someone here that I can trust to take care of my business. I've started a film production company with Jihyo and Jin in LA. They haven't mentioned anything?"

"We barely even have time to see each other despite being in the same zip code. So that's what's keeping them busy these days?" No wonder those two couldn't find time to meet her and Jisoo at The Ivy for lunch the week before.

"I'll need your help in the future. How's your family? Have you talked to your father?"

The turn of conversation did not sit well with Jennie. Her father was still a touchy subject and Sehun knew better than to go there. The glare she was sending his way was not intimidating him a bit though.

"You should give him a chance. You're not a kid anymore."

Sehun was giving her a talking-to and Jennie was not about let him go further. He had no right.

"Don't you have somewhere to go to?" Jennie's suddenly cold demeanor and dismissive tone sent a very clear message. And Sehun knew her long enough to get it.

"Yes, actually. Thank you for reminding me."

Jennie just shrugged. When Sehun went for the door, the brunette did not even bother to walk him out. She stayed on her seat, without even giving her long-time friend a brief glance.

"See you in LA, Jennie."

Then she heard the door closed.

Life in LA was getting a bit too complicated. It was a good thing she was moving to Eagle Rock, a neighborhood in the outskirts of Los Angeles.

Lisa should have trusted her instincts, because when she came back to her house after her one-week stay in Hawaii, the locks had been changed, and there was a sign in the front lawn with the big bold letters 'SOLD'. Bambam and Chaeyoung were still missing, there was no one in their house or at Bambam's small dance studio and the blonde was starting to lose her patience.

And this half-bald, round, middle-aged guy who claimed to be the real estate agent who had sold her house without her consent wasn't really helping. She had been sitting in front of him for ten minutes now and all he could say was it's sold and there's nothing that he could do about it.

"Look, Mr…?"

"Steinky." The stocky guy answered while he sloppily drank on his cup of coffee.

" _Stinky_?" Despite of her current, pathetic situation, Lisa almost laughed at that. How fitting was it for him to be born with that family name? It looked like the guy could use a shower.

"Do you have a problem with that?" The guy barked at her and he wasn't looking too cheerful today. If she wanted to get something from him, Lisa knew she had to be nice, or at least pretend to be.

"No. Uhm, Mr. Steinky, you see, that house you sold at Eagle Rock near the Los Angeles River, that's my house."

"So?" He seemed bored as he snatched a donut from the box in front of him and devoured it in front of the blonde.

_How could this guy even sell houses?_ If anything, he looked like a homeless guy. How ironic.

"I wasn't really selling it."

"I told you, it's already been sold. The papers had been finalized and I'm sure the new owner has already moved in. And she paid good cash. More than enough, actually, so why are you pestering me about it?" Mr. Steinky did not bother to hide his annoyance.

"Were you actually listening to a word I said? I'm not selling the house! Those people who gave you the authority to, they are just my stupid ex-friends now who conned me to go to Hawaii under the pretense of concern so they could execute their sinister plan!"

Instead of sympathy, Lisa got a weird look from the weird real estate guy on the other side of the table.

"Who are you again?"

"I'm Lalisa Manoban" She waved her driver's license in front of his face, but Mr. Steinky barely paid attention to it.

"No you're not."

"What?"

"She was the owner who sold that house you're so interested in."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. I AM the owner. I'm Lalisa Manoban!" The blonde yelled in exasperation. She was getting nowhere with this guy.

Surprised at the outburst, and as if seeing the light for the first time, a look of understanding crossed the stocky man's face.

"What? So who are those Asian couple who came in with the deed?"

_Wow, he was slow._

"Well, probably NOT Lisa Manoban. Did they just look like Manobans’ to you? Did you even check their IDs?”

"Okay, now that's just racist."

Lisa's hands formed into fists and they were trembling. It was taking all she had to stop herself from lunging at this guy who not only sold her house, he was also the most stupid person she had ever met in her life.

"You have to give me my house back." Lisa fixed him a hard look, and for the first time, Mr. Steinky realized that she meant business. He gulped. Well, the blonde was taller than him and she looked so lean, she probably could throw him into the window.

"Ms. Manoban, I really can't do that." Mr. Steinky was talking softer this time, and speaking carefully to make sure that he doesn't rile up the blonde. "Maybe you should get the money from your friends and try to convince the new owner to sell the house back to you?"

It was a good suggestion. But Bambam and Chaeyoung were in hiding already and she wasn't sure if they were ever coming back.

So where was she supposed to go now? She didn't have much money in the bank, and she taught dance at on the side while struggling to write. But she couldn't even teach dance now that Bambam's studio was closed.

She felt tired and defeated.

"Can you at least tell me who bought the house?" Lisa asked. Maybe she could ask the new owner to let her have the house back and let her pay in installments. Although she had no idea how she was going to pay up if by some form of miracle, the new owner actually agrees. It's a long shot, but she had to try, or else, she'd be sleeping in the streets.

"Diana Prince."

"Excuse me?"

"Diana Prince."

"Like Wonder Woman? Is that for real?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I did not personally meet her, just her staff or something."

"Well, thanks."

And with that, Lisa pulled her suitcase with her back to Eagle Rock. As she pulled over and parked her car in front of her house, and finding the lights inside on, Lisa felt the sadness wrap around her heart. What if she couldn't get the house back? What would happen to the memories she had in there, her memories with her dad and growing up? This is the only home she had known all her life, and her heart was breaking with the thought that her own friends failed to even realize what a great loss this would be to her.

She let out a deep sigh. If she had to promise that she'd work herself to the bone just to convince the new owner to sell her the house back, she would. That's how important this was for her. So, she braced herself for the consequences, and climbed up the two steps to the door, and started knocking.

She heard the sound of footsteps inside. Preparing herself with the monologue that she was sure would make even the hardest criminal cry, the door finally opened.

Her jaw hit the floor.

"You?" Lisa frowned in disbelief.

"And you." The raspy voice said back.

It seemed like fate was out to get her because new house owner who hid behind Wonder Woman's alter ego, Diana Prince, was actually the last person she ever wanted to see.

Jennie Kim.


	3. FULL HOUSE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC
> 
> grab a snack and enjoy, there’s quite a lot happening in this one !

"Are you stalking me?" A raspy voice broke the silence that momentarily settled between the two women. Brown eyes narrowed at Lisa, who stood frozen at the threshold while the brunette actress blocked the door with her arms crossed.

"What are you doing in my house?" The question came with an exasperated sigh. The writer did not seem to catch the accusation, though. Seeing Jennie again just brought back the memories (and her annoyance) from the plane and for a moment, she forgot what her predicament was.

"Oh, you mean _my_ house, clumsy blonde stalker?" Jennie corrected with a raise of an eyebrow.

"I'm not stalking you and my name is Lisa." The blonde's sharp reply.

"I didn't ask." The actress replied casually, while letting her eyes wander, blatantly assessing Lisa from head to foot. It was the first time that Jennie actually got to check out the blonde. Her raised eyebrow went up even higher, her lips forming into a grin.

_Clumsy blonde stalker was kinda hot._

The not-so-subtle leering brought a blush into pale cheeks. Lisa unconsciously crossed her arms in an attempt to cover herself up. Why did she choose today to wear her shirt with a very low neckline? Oh how she wanted to slap that predatory smirk off Jennie's face.

"Am I being punk'd or something? Come on Heechul, you can come out now!"

Lisa closed her eyes and took in some deep breaths. She was absolutely annoyed by Jennie, but she had to be nice. She needed to be nice because apparently, Jennie Kim was Diana Prince and her plan to get the house back wouldn't really work if she gave in to her urge to smack the actress in the face.

She wished she didn't have to beg.

"Look, there had been some misunderstanding and some swindling involved here. This is my house. I wasn't selling it. You bought it from my scheming friends."

"And that's my problem how?"

Of course Jennie wouldn't care. Why would she? There really was no one to blame here but Bambam and Chaeyoung. Lisa lifted her right hand to rub her temple, trying to calm herself and at the same time, thinking of her next plan.

Lisa did not notice Jennie observing her the whole time.

"You have shitty friends." The brunette commented.

"We had our good times." Lisa shrugged. She tried to think of a reason why her friends had to do what they did but couldn't come up with one. They were not criminals and there's got to be a reason why they had to resort to conning her. But there was no way to find out if they wouldn't tell her themselves.

"You should sue them and have them arrested." Jennie sounded sympathetic. Although she didn't know the whole story, she felt for the blonde. Whoever Lisa's friends were, they deserve to rot in jail for selling the blonde's house without her consent. On a side note, she was also impressed that they managed to pull it off.

"I don't know if I want them to go to jail."

Jennie leaned against the doorframe, watching the conflicted look on the blonde's face. She seemed tired, and at the same time, frustrated.

"Just like that? They sold your house, and you're just letting them off?"

"They are my friends." Lisa sighed. Actually, Bambam and Chaeyoung were her family. Since her father died and she had no idea where her mother was, those two had always been there for her. They grew up together. Even when Bambam and Chaeyoung started dating, they stuck with her. They were the closest to family that Lisa could ever have.

"They are hardly your friends." Jennie scoffed. Is this girl for real? Because if her so-called friends had done something like that to her, Jennie's throwing them in front of a truck.

"I just want to get my house back."

"Well, too late because I just bought it and paid a lot for it."

"Let me buy it back from you." The blonde looked pleadingly at the actress, her soft brown eyes catching Jennie off-guard.

Jennie immediately turned her eyes somewhere else. It was weird. For a fleeting moment, she actually entertained the thought of just giving the house back to Lisa. She shook her head to clear it.

"Well, do you have money now so we can get over this?" Her own question surprised her. She was still avoiding the pair of brown eyes, surprised that she was negotiating a buy-back of the house. In a normal situation, she would have just slammed the door on whoever was pestering her night of rest.

When Jennie did not hear a response, she was forced to look back up in time to see the embarrassment at the blonde's face.

"No."

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Forget it then." The annoyance was back at the tone of the brunette's voice.

"Please, my father designed and built this house. It's a big part of my life. This is where I grew up. I have nowhere else to go." Lisa clasped her hands together, silently hoping that she could convince Jennie to give her time.

"So let me get this straight. You want to buy this house back from me, but you don't even have any money for a down payment?"

"But I will pay you, I promise."

"And do you have any stable job at the moment?"

"I'm on the process of writing a screenplay and I teach dance at Bambam and Chaeyoung's dance studio, but-"

"And by telling me your life story, you actually thought I'd agree to move out and let you move back in without you paying me back?"

"I told you, I'll pay you back, just-"

"Are you stoned or something?"

"What? No! I'm-"

"Look, I feel for you. I really do. Your friends shouldn't have taken advantage of you, but it's not really my business. I actually like this house and I paid for it, so I'm staying."

"But Jen-"

The door was slammed into Lisa's face.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

BAM!

Or at least it sounded like that when Jennie faceplanted on her doorway the next morning as she went out for a jog. Pushing herself up with a grunt, her eyes searched for the cause of her fall and found a huge lump wedged in front of her door that looked strangely like-

"Lisa?"

There was no response, but seeing the blonde locks almost covering the writer's face, the actress knew she couldn't be mistaken. Lisa actually slept on her front steps. Jennie sat staring at the blonde, berating herself for feeling a bit guilty. The blonde told her that she has nowhere to go, and she didn't offer her to stay, even for just a night. The guilt was short-lived however, as she reminded herself that Lisa was not her responsibility.

She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she reached out and pushed the stray hair away from Lisa's face, her fingers making contact with the side of the blonde's forehead.

She was burning up.

"Hey, wake up. Lisa, wake up." She gently shook the blonde, whose eyes remained closed and gave a whimper in response.

Jennie let out a sigh. It's going to be quite the work out carrying Lisa into the house. Imagining the distance of the door to her couch, she deduced that she could in fact handle it. Taking one deep breath, she began pulling Lisa into her feet, and led her to the house.

Taking care of sick people wasn't one of her best suits. In order to pursue acting, she dropped out of Brown before she could even finish her pre-med course, which irked her father (Valencia's most prominent cardiologist) to the fullest. His rant about how she'd be wasting her life and how stupid she was being for choosing such an 'undignified' profession led to their worst argument yet.

She hadn't talked to him since.

Her mother and grandmother never said anything about her choice of career, but they seemed supportive. Once in a while, when Jennie remembered to call, her mother Jia would tell her about sneaking into the cinema just to watch Jennie's newest movie. Her grandmother would complain that she was too frail to join Jia, and that never failed to make Jennie smile. At least most of the members of her family appreciate what she does. She didn't need her dad; that's what she kept telling herself over the years.

Though sometimes, she couldn't help but miss him.

Lisa now lay on the couch, sleeping soundly. Her whimpers had stopped, but when Jennie reached up to feel her forehead, her skin was still burning hot. She wouldn't have known what to do, but a call to her mom proved to be really helpful. Jennie managed to wake the blonde for a moment to take the paracetamol that, thank god, was included in the first aid kit her mother makes sure to check in her monthly visits.

Kneeling on the floor, the brunette actress set the small basin on the floor, pulled the towel resting on her shoulder, and dipped it into the lukewarm water with alcohol. After wringing it of excess water, she lifted it to dab on Lisa's face, her neck, and her arms. That elicited a satisfied moan that brought a blush on to Jennie's face.

Forcing herself back into the task at hand, she dipped the towel back into the water, repeating the process.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

The writer drifted in and out of sleep until she woke up hungry and exhausted the following morning. At first, she was confused. She didn't have any memory of walking into the house and taking refuge at the couch, which she now noticed was too soft to be her own. That's when she bolted upright.

This wasn't her house anymore.

She could already imagine Jennie's wrath when the actress finds her there. With much stealth as she could muster, the blonde slowly picked up her shoes and was slowly walking her way out of the door when -

"Going somewhere?"

The voice coming from the direction of the kitchen startled Lisa out of her wits, making her jump. Literally.

Slowly, she turned.

"Breakfast?" Jennie asked, munching on a waffle. Her eyes were fixed at the blonde, looking expectantly.

Lisa just gawked. Why in the world was Jennie being so nice and wasn't throwing her out of the house?

"As much as it flatters me, you can't just stand there and stare at me all day, you know."

Embarrassed, Lisa turned her eyes away from the amused brunette. When she still didn't make a move to join the actress at the table, Jennie just had to roll her eyes.

"Just come here and have breakfast with me."

"Why?"

"I can't be nice for no reason?"

Lisa felt her stomach grumble. She was really hungry, but she had a long day ahead of her. She had to find a place to stay, and possibly a new job. And if she had enough time, she'd try to find her friends and at least get the money for the house, start anew. She was already resigned to the idea that this house was no longer hers.

No reason to stay any longer.

"I have to go." Lisa replied softly.

"I thought you said you had nowhere else to go." The actress sipped on her cup of coffee, looking at the blonde over the lid.

"Well, why do you care?"

"I don't."

"Have a nice life, Jennie." Lisa turned to leave.

"Wait."

Lisa stopped on her tracks. She could hear the brunette's footsteps getting nearer, and out of curiosity, she turned around.

"You can stay."

"What?"

"Just until you find a new place, or when you find a new job. You can take the spare bedroom."

"Why are you being nice all of a sudden?"

"I'm not. I'm just trying to help."

"I don't think I can-"

"Look, just take the help, okay?" Jennie herself was surprised that she was offering her house to the blonde. Maybe those soft brown eyes had something to do with it.

"I don't have anything to pay you."

"I kind of figured that out. You don't have to pay rent. But you're going to have to clean the house everyday and cook my meals because I recently just fired my chef and I don't trust that cleaning lady that used to clean my former house."

"You're really letting me stay?" That didn't sound so bad. Lisa would get to stay in her father's house longer and she wouldn't have to worry about finding a new place for the moment. Who knows, maybe she could raise the money to buy the house back.

"Only if you want."

"Oh my god, thank you! Thank you so much!" Lisa then wrapped her arms around Jennie which surprised the brunette.

Jennie let the blonde squeeze her for a few seconds, and even let her lips form into a smile, before she pulled away from the hug.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

While it may not be so obvious to Jisoo, Jennie's nerves were killing her as the brunette led her best friend into the restaurant. Her hands were shaking due to nervousness that she had to hide them behind her.

"Why is it empty here today?" Jisoo asked the brunette as she looked around, wondering why the first-class restaurant that was usually filled with people had no one else but them, and the staff. The guy at the bar gave her a weird smile. She didn't give it much thought and just returned the smile.

"I don't know." Jennie replied, glad that the tremble in her voice wasn't that obvious. She pulled the chair for Jisoo.

"What's gotten into you?" The designer chuckled. "You opened the car door for me just a while ago."

"Well, contrary to popular belief, chivalry isn't really dead."

"You may be a lot of things, Jendeuk, but chivalrous isn't one of them."

"Just enjoy it while it lasts, baby girl." Jennie grinned as she picked up the menu in front of her, pretending to read.

"Oh, I will. Can you pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow?"

"Ha-ha. Don't push it." The brunette tried to act serious but the big smile on her face gave her away.

"It's so weird that it's just the two of us here... So what did you want to tell me?" Jisoo recalled that Jennie mentioned she needed to tell her something so they agreed to meet for dinner. She picked up the menu in front of her as well and scanned the choices.

"After dessert." The actress threw a brief look at Jisoo, letting a sly grin cross her face.

"I'm curious. Come on. Tell me now." Needless to say, the designer was intrigued.

"Well, you're going to New York."

"Aww. You don't want me to go?" Jisoo reached across the table for Jennie's left hand. She smiled sweetly at her friend while rubbing the back of Jennie's hand.

Cat-shaped eyes locked at their hands, before it traveled to meet Jisoo's brown ones. Her smile faltered, as she thought of the remaining days that Jisoo would be in LA.

"I just want you to be safe." Jennie said with sincerity. She felt the older brunette squeeze her hand.

"You should have been nice to me when I was here." Jisoo winked at Jennie but missed the blush that tinted the brunette's cheeks as she reached for her cellphone in her bag when she heard it ringing.

Jisoo's face noticeably lit up upon seeing who was calling.

Jennie could only guess it was Sehun.

She was correct.

Jisoo looked so giddy talking (or whispering) to Sehun on the other line that Jennie had to roll her eyes. She was so annoyed at Sehun for ruining their moment. Since when did he even get back to LA?

"I have to go." Jisoo's voice pulled Jennie from her thoughts.

"What?"

Just then, the waitress brought a cup of ice cream on their table, in front of Jisoo. Jennie's eyes shifted to the ice cream and back to her best friend.

"I told Sehun that I'm here. He's coming to pick me up. He needs something to wear for the Vanity Fair party next week. We're going to the shop." Jisoo got up from her seat and walked around the table to give Jennie a kiss on the cheek.

"But what about the ice cream? You love ice cream."

"Let's have dinner another time, okay?" Jisoo said over her shoulder as she headed for the exit.

All the while, Jennie sat frozen on her chair, fuming at Sehun. She picked up the glass of red wine in front of her and drank the contents in one gulp. Not satisfied, she picked up the bottle, poured her glass full, and drank it empty again.

Feeling the buzz, she got up from her chair and sprinted out of the restaurant, gaining curious looks from the staff but she couldn't care less.

She managed to catch up with Jisoo who was still standing outside, waiting for Sehun. She didn't realize that she actually grabbed Jisoo's arm, making her turn around in surprise.

"Jennie?"

"Tell him to wait."

"Jennie, what's going on with you?" The older Korean noticed how flustered Jennie was so she reached up and touched her face, only to be swatted away.

"Do you like him?" The brunette's voice was a little louder than usual and she seemed angry. Jisoo was taken aback by her tone.

"Why is that your business?" Jisoo pulled her hand back, her mood shifting. She turned away from Jennie. She wasn't really up for an argument tonight.

"He doesn't like you like that." The actress rumbled at her.

Jisoo knew her friend was right. And she hated her for it, and for bringing that up. Jennie just knew how to ruin her night, but she had no idea why the brunette was even doing it. She took in a deep breath to calm herself.

"Well it's not your problem is it? Thanks for the concern."

Just then, Sehun's Lexus stopped in front of them, and without so much of a word, or a look for that matter, Jisoo got in. Jennie did not even bother to say anything to Sehun as she walked back to the restaurant, frustrated and disappointed as to how the night turned out.

"Uhm, is Jennie okay?" Sehun finally asked as he drove, wondering why Jisoo was being quiet and why Jennie did not even say hi to him at the restaurant.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just being the natural brat that she is. She's absolutely fine." She did not even bother to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Are _you_ okay?"

"Just drive, Sehun."

At the restaurant, Jennie emptied the bottle of red wine. When she still wasn't drunk enough, she ordered shots of tequila. Knowing her alcohol level was more than the legal limit to allow her to drive, she called Taehyung to pick her up. As she waited for him to arrive, she stared at the now melted cup of ice cream, scooped up the expensive ring from under it, wiped it with some tissue, and stuffed it in her purse.

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She was just mad.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa was stuck in front of her laptop and almost fell off her seat in the dining table when she heard the slamming of the front door. She felt relieved, however, upon seeing Jennie stumble into her line of sight. But upon realizing the brunette's current state, she just had to frown.

Jennie was drunk out of her wits.

She left the table just in time to catch the brunette before Jennie fell on her face on the granite floor. Lisa blushed when she realized how close her body was pressed with Jennie's. The brunette, who was shorter than her, had her face buried in the writer's chest, her arms wrapped around Lisa's body, while the blonde tried to hold her up.

They both stood in their awkward position in silence for a while. Then Lisa heard the sobbing.

"Jennie?" Lisa pulled away a bit so that she could see Jennie's face. True enough, tears were streaming down her sad face, and the sight just tugged at the blonde's heart.

She never thought she'd ever see the actress this vulnerable.

"What happened?" Pale hand unconsciously went up to tuck a stray brunette hair behind Jennie's ear.

"She chose him…"

Lisa had to strain her ears to hear.

"Who?"

"Jisoo chose Sehun…"

"Jisoo? Jisoo Kim?" It was one of the little information that she knew about the actress' public life. She had no idea who's the Sehun Jennie was referring to, but the designer and the brunette actress were known to be childhood friends. She had read about Jennie wearing the blonde's designs in public events.

She felt when Jennie nodded against her chest.

"I was going to propose and she chose Sehun… Lisa, she chose Sehun!" Jennie started sobbing again.

Lisa felt so sorry for Jennie. She never heard or read about Jennie dating Jisoo, but she must really love her enough to think of proposing to her. She pulled the trembling brunette closer, hoping that somehow, it would lessen the heartache.

Jennie surprised her when the brunette pulled away and made a run to the backdoor. Lisa followed her, confused. She found the Korean looking for something in her purse. When Jennie lifted what it was, the blonde's jaw dropped.

It was one beautiful and expensive engagement ring.

When the brunette pulled her hand back as if she was going to throw it away, only to be wasted and lost in the vast lawn, Lisa ran fast enough to grab her hand.

"Hold up! What are you doing?"

"Let go of me, Lisa." Jennie warned the blonde with a glare.

Lisa flinched; she had never seen Jennie so angry. Just a while ago, she looked so broken and sad. It was surprising how her mood could change so fast.

"You're throwing it away?"

"Yes I'm throwing this fucking ring away!" The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Why?"

"You know why!"

"But that looks really expensive. Can you just-"

"Do I look like I care?" Jennie tugged at her hand and motioned for one strong throw.

_Well, that's a waste._

When Jennie stumbled back into the door, Lisa followed and helped her. She wrapped her arm around Jennie, walking her back into the house, and helping her climb up the stairs into her room.

"Don't even think about it." The brunette grumbled as they entered her bedroom.

Lisa's eyes widened. Did Jennie know that she was thinking of going back out to find the ring?

"I'm telling you, Lisa. Just leave the ring alone." Jennie sat on her bed, her eyes droopy eyes closing every now and then.

"I wasn't thinking anything." Lisa answered defensively. When Jennie tugged at the hem of her short dress to take it off, the blonde immediately turned and started walking out of the bedroom.

"I should go now."

"Lili?"

Lisa stopped at the door. Did Jennie just give her a nickname?

"Lili?" Lisa turned, relieved to see Jennie already underneath the blanket, probably wearing nothing but her underwear. The thought made her blush.

"Yeah. Lili. I can call you Lili, right?" Jennie mumbled against her pillow.

Lisa couldn't help but smile. The actress was looking so cute right now, and the nickname she got didn't sound so bad.

"Sure. You can call me Lili."

"Thanks…"

"For what?"

"For being here."

" _Gwaenchana_ _._ "

Jennie giggled at Lisa's attempt at Korean.

"Please just… Don't tell anyone about tonight."

"I won't. Goodnight, Jennie."

"G'night Lili…"

Lisa smiled at Jennie, glad to see the peaceful look on the now sleeping brunette. As she walked out of Jennie's room, she stepped on something that was lying on the floor. She picked it up, and was intrigued to see the Vanity Fair logo on the envelope. Out of curiosity, she pulled what was inside the already opened envelope and found an invitation to a party that would be held the following week. Jennie was allowed to bring anyone with her.

An idea struck Lisa.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It's been almost a week since that squabble with Jisoo. Jennie had never seen the older brunette since then, and spent most of her time at home with Lisa. She was so glad that Lisa was sensitive enough not to bring up that night, despite of how exceptionally cranky she had been. She would have stayed at home, just so she could keep annoying the writer (it was really fun). But Taehyung just had to pull her from her comfort zone to attend the Vanity Fair party.

Jennie did not bother to hide how unhappy she was at the party.

Taehyung and Joohyun had been going on and on about this new Martin Scorsese movie and the 'role of a lifetime' that they thought fits Jennie perfectly. The gist of the whole conversation was to win that part and aim for the Oscars, but the brunette could not care less. Somewhere around here, Sehun was probably flirting with a hot girl and Jisoo was probably watching in misery, wallowing in self-pity.

"So, we'll set up a meet with Scorsese. I'll let you know the details." Tae's voice brought her back from her trance.

"Yeah, okay." Jennie smiled without really understanding what she had just agreed to. He could have been setting her up to die but she was too lost in thoughts to even pay attention.

The brunette continued to stare at nothing in particular. Her eyes darted everywhere, unconsciously looking for Jisoo, but instead of finding the designer, a flash of long blonde hair caught her attention.

A deep frown formed in her face.

Ten feet away from her, by the buffet table, was Lisa, indulging on the free, unlimited and expensive food. She was also holding a flute of champagne on her right hand and was not hiding the obvious fact that she was stuffing herself like she was starving for months.

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"Can you excuse me for a minute?" She said to her agent and manager.

Taehyung and Joohyun exchanged looks. He shrugged and Joohyun just smiled at her. Jennie, with determined steps and an annoyed look plastered in her face, approached the leggy blonde.

"I thought you weren't stalking me? I'd say this proves otherwise."

Lisa wasn't surprised to hear that voice. When she turned around to face the brunette, she made sure that the actress would see that she wasn't that pleased to see her.

"Please. You're not exactly god's gift to women as you'd like to believe. You may be desirable, but I hope you'd give it up and accept the fact that I'm not that into you."

"Not _that_ into me?" Jennie grinned at her. She may not be enjoying this party but that did not mean she could not have fun provoking the blonde. "That's a bit vague and could be interpreted in so many different ways, don't you think?"

"Let me rephrase that. I. Don't. Like. You. At. All. So can you just leave me in peace?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Eating."

"Obviously. At least try to act a little refined. You look like you haven't seen food in years."

"Have you tasted this caviar? Damn, it's so good." Lisa involuntarily let out a satisfied moan, making Jennie feel a bit uncomfortable.

Jennie had to clear her throat.

"How did you even get in?" Jennie ignored the burning she felt on her cheeks.

"Found your invitation. I'm your plus one. Just let me do my thing and I'll leave you alone, okay? I just need to meet people who can help me with my writing career."

"Wow, you have no boundaries, do you?"

"I don't waste opportunities." With one last glare thrown at the brunette's direction, Lisa walked away, leaving the empty flute on the table, her goal set to find someone who could help her with her writing career.

"Good luck!" Jennie threw her a fake smile and a wave.

Lisa just winced. She had to get away from the brunette as far away as possible if she was going to get some luck because that girl had been nothing but bad luck for her. Just as she rounded a corner, she bumped into someone.

"Oh my god! I'm so-"

"Lisa?"

Finally getting a good look of the guy who stopped her from falling on her ass and was still holding her, she couldn't help but smile.

"Sehun! Wow, it's great to see you here."

"I told you I'd see you in California." He grinned, making a step back as he let her go.

"What a coincidence."

"Maybe it's fate." Sehun said, shoving her hands into his pocket and smiling cheekily at her. Lisa slightly blushed at the attempt at flirting.

"So, what are you doing here?" Lisa looked on curiously. Their conversation back in Hawaii had been very short and they never really got the chance to get to know each other much. She felt so comfortable with Sehun that she was just glad to have met him again.

"Part of the job. I work in the entertainment industry so I have to show up once in a while, keep up appearances, you know." Sehun shrugged.

"You sound like you hate it."

"I don't hate it. I'm just so used to it that I don't even appreciate the perks anymore."

"Wanna swap?" Lisa joked.

"It depends. What do you do?" He asked, playfully raising an eyebrow at her in curiousity.

"I'm a writer."

"Ever written anything I've seen?"

"Actually, I'm just starting. I'm writing something at the moment but I don't know who to show it to."

"Show it to me. I'm in film production."

Jennie was still by the buffet table, trying out the caviar that Lisa suggested. It was as good as Lisa made it out to be that she had to taste it again. She kept looking around, making sure that the blonde wouldn't see her pigging out.

Well, she was caught alright, but not by anyone she was expecting.

"Hey."

Jennie stilled. She took a moment before she turned to see Jisoo standing a few feet from her, looking anxious as she waited for the brunette's response.

"Hey." The actress returned the greeting.

They stood awkwardly for a few seconds, turning their eyes everywhere but each other.

"Uhm, about last week-"

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry."

There was another moment of awkward silence between them.

"I'll make it up to you. How about you come over tomorrow night? I'll make you dinner." Jisoo gave her a tight-lipped smile. Jennie just shook her head. She remained unmoving at a distance, and she wasn't planning on moving any closer. She was still pissed and while Jisoo was being all sweet, she just wasn't ready to let it go yet.

If only her best friend knew why.

"You don't have to do that."

"I don't want you to be mad at me, Jendeukie."

"I'm not mad, just… Just give me some space, okay?"

"Are you getting tired of me?"

"No. I'm not getting tired of you."

"Well, you better not be because it looks like you'd be seeing more of me than you originally thought. I'm not moving to New York."

"You're not?" The actress was surprised. She almost smiled upon hearing that Jisoo wasn't leaving but she was also intrigued. The realization hit her soon enough.

Sehun Oh was back in LA and he was there to stay.

"I thought you didn't want me to leave."

"I don't. But is there a reason why you changed your mind?"

Jisoo shrugged.

"Is it Sehun?"

"Jen, can't you just be happy that I'm staying? I thought you'd be happy."

Jennie turned her eyes away so she didn't have to see those pair of brown eyes looking expectantly at her. Of course she was happy that Jisoo wasn't moving away. It was Sehun that she wasn't happy about. Why did Jisoo have to center her life around Sehun? He obviously didn't care for her like that.

Tonight's conversation was going nowhere, Jisoo knew that. They would probably end up arguing again and the older wasn't going to allow that. The last thing she wanted was to aggravate this situation with Jennie. She could just leave it for tonight and walk away. Maybe one of these days, the brunette would stop bugging her about Sehun.

"I'll just see you around, okay?" The designer sighed as she walked away from Jennie.

And Jennie just let her.

"The girl made you dance, and you actually danced for her?" Sehun was laughing hard as he listened to Lisa’s stories from grade school. Their conversation had turned from professional to personal, and the blonde felt so comfortable with him that she started sharing her funny experiences.

"Well, yeah." Lisa was also laughing at herself.

"Did she threaten you or something?" Sehun was now sitting with Lisa on a bench, his flute of champagne long-forgotten beside him.

"No." The blonde was flushed due to embarrassment. She really had no defense.

"Was she taller than you, maybe bigger?"

"Neither."

"So why did you dance?"

"I don't know. I just did!" She was still laughing at the silliness of it.

"Wow, you're easy to persuade."

A ringing interrupted them. Lisa realized it was her cellphone. Looking apologetically, she fished her iPhone from her purse and rolled her eyes upon seeing who it was.

"What?"

" _Lili, where are you? Let's go home now."_

"I'm kinda busy."

" _What could possibly keep you busy? Are you eating caviar again?"_

"I'm not that starved. Anyway, we didn't come here together. Why don't you just go ahead and leave me here?"

" _How are you going to get home?"_ Jennie knew that the blonde had car trouble earlier in the morning.

"I'd…" Lisa paused, remembering that she took a cab coming over here. It cost her a lot and she didn't have enough money for a ride back. Her original plan was to catch a ride with Jennie, whether she liked it or not, but she totally forgot about it. "Fine."

" _I'll wait for you by the buffet table."_

As Jennie hung up, Lisa turned to Sehun with another apologetic smile.

"I have to go."

"Now?" Sehun did not bother to hide the disappointment.

"My, uh, _friend_ , says we have to leave, so… Maybe we'll see each other again next time?" Lisa said, sounding hopeful. Sehun seemed sincere in his offer to help, and the blonde could really use all the help that she could get.

"Why don't you call me, or drop by my office when you finished your script?" Sehun pulled a card from his inside pocket and handed it to Lisa.

"Oh, I will!" Lisa grinned at Sehun. She gave him an awkward handshake before walking away to find Jennie.

Sehun could not help himself. He watched the blonde walk away, a goofy smile plastered on his face. He had never had so much fun talking to someone before.

"Why are you doing this?"

He didn't have to turn to see whom that voice belongs to. Composing himself, he turned to face Jisoo, who was looking livid standing before him.

"What?" Sehun was genuinely confused.

"Are you trying to test my patience, how far you can push me?" Jisoo crossed her arms defensively. She had been watching from afar, jealous that someone else was the cause of Sehun's laughter. He never laughed like that with her.

"What do you mean?" He remained calm, knowing exactly where this confrontation was going. For so long, he had successfully avoided it.

Not this time.

"I have feelings for you." Jisoo's voice trembled with the confession. Her eyes watered, remembering the times she watched as Sehun took different girls home everytime they hung out at a club. All those times, she restrained herself, knowing her feelings were one-sided. Apparently, those efforts were futile.

Sehun knew to avoid that pair of brown eyes.

"I'm sorry you misunderstood, but I've always thought of you as my sister. You and Jennie. She likes you so much. You look good together." He wasn't naïve. The way Jennie cared about Jisoo, the way she had always protected her ever since they were little, he knew what it meant.

"Is it because of Jennie, because she likes me?"

Sehun did not answer. When Jisoo bolted, with the obvious purpose of looking for Jennie, he immediately followed.

"Jisoo!" He called after her, but there was no stopping the designer.

"I can't believe you're making me leave early. I was having a nice talk with Sehun-"

"Sehun?" Jennie growled at the sound of Sehun's name coming from Lisa's mouth.

"He said he'd help me. Why, do you know him?" Lisa did not get her answer as she heard Sehun's voice calling for someone.

"Jisoo, wait!" Sehun desperately called for her childhood friend. But it was too late. He watched as Jisoo grabbed Jennie’s arm, forcing the actress to face her.

The initial surprise was replaced by confusion as Jennie whirled around, seeing Jisoo, seething in front of her.

"Jennie, do you have feelings for me?"

Jisoo was holding on to Jennie's arm and whether or not the older was realizing it, it was starting to hurt. Sehun and Lisa looked on at the confrontation, not knowing exactly what to do.

"Do you love me? Tell me right now."

Jennie had never seen this demanding side of Jisoo ever before. She was too shocked to even make a reply.

"Jisoo…" Sehun called at her, trying to calm down the designer.

"Tell me right here and now. Tell me!"

The actress was vaguely aware of the growing crowd snooping around them. Who could blame them? This could be another juicy gossip involving Hollywood's notorious playgirl. That was far from Jennie's concerns, though. All she could think of was Jisoo, asking her if she had feelings for her.

How dare she? Jisoo left her alone at the first-class restaurant she rented for the whole night just so she could propose. She did not even touch the ice cream where the engagement ring was. She did not even get to see the ring. Instead, she chose to be with Sehun, who could care less about her.

And now Jisoo wanted to know if Jennie had feelings for her?

That was so not fair.

"I do… I have feelings for you…"

Call it defense mechanism, call it getting even. But Jennie was hurt. So she did what nobody expected her to do.

"I love you, Lisa."

Lisa did not have time to react as she felt Jennie's left hand on her neck, pulling her face closer to her own. By instinct, she closed her eyes. When she felt the pair of soft, plump lips against her own, her knees buckled. She would have fallen on the floor, if it wasn't for Jennie's right hand on her waist, keeping her steady.

It happened all so fast, but Lisa remembered the flashing of lights, Jennie’s warm breath on her face, and the way air was knocked out of her chest. The rest of the experience was too blurry.

Sehun and Jisoo watched with their mouths hanging open.

Lisa could barely recall how she got out of the Vanity Fair party as she sat outside Taehyung Kim’s office, waiting for Jennie to come out. They had been screaming at each other for the last five minutes, and Lisa could not figure out a word they were saying.

"Where did this girl even come from? I've never seen her before and now you gave her a ring? Your games are getting more extreme, Jennie. You could have just stuck to your playgirl ways, and now you had to promise marriage to get some?" Taehyung looked at his friend in disbelief. For the first time since stepping into his office, Jennie showed an emotion. She seemed surprised at the mention of marriage.

Taehyung picked up his iPad and shoved it into Jennie's hands. When the actress looked at the picture taken by the paparazzi and posted on the TMZ website, her eyes narrowed. She didn't notice it before but on Lisa's hand was an engagement ring that eerily resembled that ring she threw a few days ago.

The ring that she warned Lisa about.

Jisoo's ring.

_Well, fuck._

The paparazzi snapped a photo of her kissing Lisa, with the blonde wearing the ring meant for Jisoo. That's. Just. Great.

This faux affair just reached a whole new level.

"There are already polls on some internet sites and people are betting on how long before you'd break this engagement. You're trending on twitter, in case you didn't know!" To say Taehyung was furious is an understatement.

Jennie was sitting opposite Taehyung's table, looking bored. When her agent turned, this time, his laptop for her to see what he was talking about, the brunette just lifted her hands to check her nails; her attitude driving Taehyung even crazier.

"Jennie, please, if you're going to break this girl's heart, please tell us now so we could prepare what to do to save your rep. Directors are already inclined to believe that you're irresponsible, which is the exact opposite of truth, actually. You're the most professional person I know. But we can't help it if they associate your philandering ways with irresponsibility, Jennie. They think it's childish, and immature, and-" Joohyun, Jennie's manager, did not get to finish her lecture.

"Well, I guess this is your lucky day then because that's all about to change." Jennie calmly got up from her seat, heading for the door.

"What? So, you're serious about this? You really are marrying this girl?" Taehyung could not believe his ears.

"Aren't you glad that there's not going to be anymore scandals in the future?" Jennie said as she pushed the glass door open, walking out and leaving a gaping manager and agent behind.

As soon as the door closed, and Taehyung and Joohyun recovered from shock, Taehyung picked up the phone.

"Call her PR. I'm setting up a press conference." He ordered Joohyun, who nodded in agreement.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

The ride back to the house had been awfully quiet. Lisa and Jennie retreated to their respective bedrooms without a word. Lisa finally recovered from the haze of what just happened, and was becoming slightly irritated that Jennie still ignored her. She paced her room, thinking. They had to talk about what happened, right? There's got to be some conversation about it.

Well, the blonde was intent on finding out.

Jennie was just getting into a fresh pair of boxer shorts when Lisa barged into the brunette's room, surprising both of them. The actress fell on her ass as she rushed to get the shorts on while Lisa hit her forehead on the door as she immediately turned in embarrassment.

_Ouch._

"Don't you knock?" Jennie scrambled to pull her shorts up while still lying on the floor.

"Is there anything you want to say to me?" Lisa said, her back still turned on Jennie.

"About what?" Now properly dressed in shorts and tank top, she got up from the floor, wincing as she felt the pain on her butt. That was going to hurt for a while. "I'm dressed, you can turn around now."

Lisa did.

"Are you seriously asking me that? You must have something to say to me after what you did earlier. You can't do anything that you want with me. I'm not your slave."

Jennie stared at Lisa for a while, making the blonde a bit uncomfortable under her gaze. She contemplated the whole situation. That is actually what she had been doing since leaving Taehyung's office.

"I'll give you this house back, if it means that much you. After all, it is your parents' home. You grew up here." The striking brunette sounded patronizing as she looked intently at the blonde, both of them standing in her bedroom.

Jennie didn't get an answer right away. She held the reproachful look being thrown her way by the not-so-pleased Lisa Manoban.

"What's the catch?" Lisa didn't even bother to hide the distrust in her voice.

"Marry me."

Lisa's eyes widened. If she'd been drinking anything, she would've died choking.

"Excuse me?" The blonde managed to squeak out after her shock. The proposal was anything but romantic. It was spoken in the most nonchalant tone possible. She didn't know whether to be flattered or angry.

Jennie made it sound like it was an ordinary thing for her. Did marriage mean nothing to the brunette at all?

Jennie rolled her eyes at the blonde's reaction.

"I said, let's get married."

"Are you high?" It was the craziest suggestion she'd ever heard. They kissed. That definitely didn't mean they had to marry each other. Where was this even coming from?

"Do you want your house back or not?" The brunette was clearly starting to get annoyed when she didn't get the response she wanted. Her impatience clear in the tone of her voice.

"The answer to that question is easy. I don't understand why you're talking about marriage with me though."

"Hollywood exploded with the news of our engagement tonight. Haven't you heard?"

"Engagement?"

"Thanks for wearing my engagement ring when I told you to leave it alone, by the way", came brunette's acerbic response. This situation was really frustrating for her. Sure, it was her fault that they got the attention of every news/gossip crew and paparazzi at the party when she kissed Lisa out of nowhere to get out of a certain situation. But there wouldn't have been any mention of an engagement if it weren't for Lisa's foolishness. She wore the ring, meant for Jisoo, that Jennie had thrown away two days ago.

"Oh, so you're blaming me, then? You kissed me." Lisa's thoughts went back to what happened at the party, and now, just couldn't believe the shameless proposition. How could someone propose marriage that easily?

"You enjoyed it." Jennie shrugged with a self-satisfied look on her face. Lisa couldn't help but roll her eyes. Sure, Jennie's plump lips were way beyond kissable and she had thought about kissing Jennie before—just to know how it would feel. But her annoyance with Jennie's over-the-top narcissism still trumped the physical attraction.

"Your ego seems to occupy the biggest portion of your brain."

"Look, I've been involved in too many scandals this year and my PR is on my ass telling me that it's a bit too much, even for me."

"I'm sorry, but I think I missed the part that involves me."

"We're engaged. Or at least that's what people are thinking now. The gossip sites are already making up polls asking fans to vote how long they think I could last before I actually call off the engagement. I'm not going to give them that satisfaction."

"Why not tell the world the truth?"

"Explaining that kiss and how that ring found its way to your finger would be tricky. And I don't think that would help diffuse the situation. And if you think that telling people about my failed proposal to Jisoo would be the solution, you must be delusional."

"If you really wanted to propose to her, why didn't you? She might have said yes."

"She doesn't love me that way."

Jisoo was in love with Sehun. She had been for a very long time.

Jennie let out a defeated sigh.

"I'm sick of the scandals. I'm sick of the bad publicity. Half of them may be true but I'm not all that bad. I'm not as notorious as they make me out to be."

"I don't see how marriage would help you. Or me, for that matter." Observant brown eyes remained fixed on the brunette, who seemed resigned to the idea of marriage.

"We'll let people believe that we're in love with each other and we'll live in this house together. They'd think I'd gone soft since I'm finally settling down."

"But I don't even like you and I can't stand you."

"I'm an actress and a good one at that. I don't think you're that bad."

"Are you trying to get into my pants, Kim? Divas are not really my type."

"Don't flatter yourself because I don't care much about you either. There's not going to be any funny business, we'll just pretend. We'll even have separate rooms. If you can do that for a year, then I'll give you this house back. No questions asked." Cat-like eyes remained unblinking, locked with a pair of browns, expecting a response.

The proposal earned the actress a wary and suspicious look from the blonde, so she continued.

"One year and then we'll get a divorce. I'll give you this house back as alimony. I'll move out and disappear from your life forever. All you have to do is say yes."

"That's tempting, but I don't really trust you." Brown eyes narrowed at Jennie

"I guess the feeling is mutual. But since we've already gotten ourselves into this mess, we might as well go all out, for both our benefits. It's a win-win situation."

"Correction, _you_ got us into this."

Lisa crossed her arms, her mind going through the advantages and disadvantages of marrying Jennie Kim and staying with her for a year.

Getting her parents' house back doesn't sound so bad. She wouldn't have to pay a cent (that she doesn't even have) and her house wasn't exactly cheap. It'd probably take her more than ten years to pay for it, and she was sure Jennie wasn't interested in selling it back to her anyway.

Besides, being 'married' to a Hollywood A-lister with big connections might help with her writing career.

Also, she might actually be able to help the infamous playgirl.

"What would your agent say when we finally get a divorce?" Lisa asked. Jennie was apparently doing this for her career and her image. But what would happen after the divorce?

"I'm sure Tae would find a way to make me look like a heartbroken divorcee and work it to my benefit."

"I need a contract."

"Contract?"

"I need proof."

"Proof?"

"I need a black and white document that this set-up will be over in a year and that you wouldn't go back on your promise."

"Like I'd stay married to you beyond that period, anyways. I'd barely survive one year!" Jennie rolled her eyes at the blonde.

"This isn't really the time for insults, Jennie." Brown eyes narrowed with a warning at the actress.

"Fine. Make a contract. I don't care... Just don't fall in love with me." Jennie crossed her arms.

"Me, falling in love with you? Do you even hear yourself?"

"I saw you checking me out at that party."

"Ugh, you're insufferable!" Lisa felt her face burning in embarrassment having been caught. She wouldn't admit to it anyway. She caught a lopsided smirk forming on Jennie’s face. Oh how she wanted to wipe the smugness off that gorgeous brunette.

"Just make the damn contract, will you?"

It was past midnight and both Lisa and Jennie were still awake as they sat opposite each other on the dining table, each holding a pen and writing on a piece of paper. Jennie had only written one sentence, while Lisa managed to fill her own with a very long list.

"Is this even legal?" Jennie asked as she stretched her arms, yawning in the process.

"Probably not. But at least I have something to blackmail you with if you ever turn your back on this agreement." Lisa grinned at the brunette.

Jennie looked uninterested as she rested her chin on the palm of her right hand. She couldn't wait to get this over with.

"Just give me your terms." The actress yawned again.

"Okay. One, we have to respect each other's privacy."

"Fine."

"Two, neither can demand physical intimacy."

Jennie scoffed.

"As if."

"Three, this contract shall expire after a period of one year, from today. And four, the ownership of this house will revert back to Lisa, after the expiration of the contract."

"Anything else?"

"I have nothing else."

"Okay. Five, knowledge of third party nullifies the contract."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Where do we sign?"

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa had been driving around town looking for a job. She was going to lose all of her savings if she wouldn't be able to find a replacement for her teaching job at Bambam's dance studio. Her friends were still missing and their numbers were still unreachable. Despite of how mad she was at them at the moment, she hoped that nothing bad had happened to them.

If she had a choice, she would still prefer to teach dance, but there weren't many opportunities like that in Eagle Rock. None of the other dance studios were hiring. Well, maybe she would just had to wait and for the meantime, that waitressing job near Bambam's dance studio might do.

As she passed the studio on her way to her job interview, by habit, her eyes flickered to the direction of the studio. She stepped on the brakes.

The dance studio was open, and Bambam’s and Chaeyoung's cars were parked outside.

Someone's getting their revenge today.

Without wasting another second, Lisa pulled her crappy car into a park and as she got out, she literally ran, making sure that her friends wouldn't have time to hide from her again if ever they saw her approach.

Bambam and Chaeyoung jumped in surprise as the doors to the studio were harshly pushed open.

Upon seeing Lisa seething, their eyes widened in fear.

Next thing Bambam knew, Lisa was pouncing on him, punching him, while Chaeyoung was trying to pacify the angry blonde.

"Lisa! Stop! You're killing him!" Chaeyoung pleaded as she tried her best to pull her friend away from her boyfriend.

"That's the plan!" Lisa just couldn't contain herself. She didn't want them arrested but she was ready to kill Bambam right at that moment.

Ironic.

"I'm sorry, Lisa! Ouch! When did you get so strong?" Bambam was trying to dodge the punches.

"Sorry? That's all you can say? You sold my house!" Lisa punched him on the stomach.

"Oww! Let me explain!"

"Where the hell is my money?"

Bambam managed to pry himself away from Lisa’s grasp and, pulling Chaeyoung with him, tried to shield themselves from the blonde's rage behind the reception counter.

"First, you have to know how sorry we are, Lisa." Bambam was panting.

"Yeah, well, that's not gonna cut it, Bam. Give me the fucking money you got from selling my father's house so I could get it back." Lisa stood glaring at her friends, her hands planted on her hips.

"We don't have it." Chaeyoung replied, looking really scared.

"What?" Lisa's eyebrow shot up.

"I'm… pregnant." A shy smile formed in Chaeyoung’s face. She turned to her boyfriend, who gave her a smile in return.

"Yeah, we're having a baby." Bambam confirmed.

Lisa stood dumbfounded, letting her eyes shift back and forth to Bambam and Chaeyoung.

"Oh… No, no, don't look at me with those puppy eyes. Just because you're having a baby, that wouldn't change the fact that I'm so mad at you right now."

"We sold your house so I could protect my family." Bambam hurriedly said before Lisa could interrupt him again.

Lisa looked in confusion.

"The money that we used to build this dance studio came from a loan shark." Bambam elaborated with a sigh. "To cut the story short, we weren't able to pay the installments and the interest blew up until we couldn't pay. We don't have enough clients or dance classes to earn enough for the payment. They didn't want the studio, they want the money. We were threatened that if we don't pay up, something's going to happen to Rosie. We're having a baby, Lisa. I didn't know what to do. I had to protect my family."

"So you sold _my_ house?"

"It was enough to cover our debt… If I sold the studio, it still wouldn't be enough. We're going to pay you, Lisa. I don't know when, but we will. I promise." Bambam said.

Lisa knew that her friend was genuinely sorry, but what they did still wasn't right.

"You couldn't just come to me for help?"

"We weren't thinking. We're really sorry, Lisa." Chaeyoung said.

"Why did you hide?" Lisa crossed her arms, taking a few steps closer to her friends. If the situation wasn't so serious, she would have laughed at seeing them flinch. She had never been the scary type.

"We couldn't face you, after what we did to you." Bambam admitted.

"So why did you come back?"

"Well, we've got to do something to actually raise the money to pay you back." It was only then that Lisa noticed Bambam's arms protectively wrapped around Chaeyoung.

"You're opening the studio again?" A flicker of hope twinkled in Lisa's brown eyes.

"Yes."

"I'll tell you what. I'm not going to kill you right now on two conditions."

"Okay." For the first time since the blonde came in the studio, Bambam looked relieved.

"One, you're going to give me my teaching job back and two, the profits of this studio will be split 50-50." The blonde wasn't really giving her friends a choice.

Bambam and Chaeyoung exchanged looks. It was fair. They could only imagine what Lisa went through after discovering that she lost her house.

"Deal." Bambam grinned, extending his hand for Lisa to shake.

Lisa took his hand and shook it.

"So, uhm, if you don't mind me asking, where have you been staying?" Chaeyoung asked her curiously. She had seen the news and had an idea with whom.

"I'm still living at the house, actually."

"What? How? I mean, we sold it." Bambam was puzzled.

"It was Jennie who bought it."

"Yeah, about that… I didn't know you were dating Jennie Kim. She was always portrayed to be the player kind of girl. When did you start dating her? I didn't even know you knew her." Bambam asked.

"Wait, you're living with her now?" Chaeyoung looked surprised.

"Honey, they are getting married."

"So I heard. Lisa, are you sure about this? She doesn't seem to be the type who would commit." Chaeyoung turned to Lisa with concern.

Lisa could feel her face warm in embarrassment.

"You know what? I forgot that I have to meet Jennie at Beverly Hills today. I should leave now." As Lisa reached the door, she warned her friends over her shoulder. "This place better be open and you better be here when I get back tomorrow!"

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie was impatiently tapping her high-heeled shoes on the floor backstage as she and Taehyung waited for Lisa to come out of the dressing room. It was the day that Taehyung set up for the press conference to officially announce her and Lisa's engagement.

"What's taking her so long?"

"Relax. She would be out any minute now." Tae reassured Jennie.

Jennie just scowled. She was about to dial Lisa's number on her phone when she saw movement in the corner of her eye. When she looked at the direction, her jaw dropped.

Lisa was standing awkwardly in a short yellow dress, looking shy. Her hair was down in soft, big curls. The make-up in her face looked natural.

"Do I look funny? I do, don't I?" Lisa said anxiously after seeing the way Jennie was gaping at her.

Realizing that she had been staring, Jennie turned her eyes away and cleared her throat.

"You look like someone else." The brunette replied with indifference. Taehyung just snickered, noticing the hard-to-trace blush in his friend's face.

"You look great. If you think the questions are difficult, just look at me, or Jennie." Taehyung smiled at Lisa, before walking ahead of them, leading them to the door.

The blonde was surprised when she felt Jennie's warm hands holding her own. Before she could say anything about it, the door was pushed open, and lights started flashing. She felt Jennie squeeze her hand, and she let the brunette pull her into the room full of press people.

Lisa was so nervous, she barely heard the words Taehyung said when the conference began. She could hear Jennie talking on her right, and felt the reassuring squeeze of her hand every few minutes.

"We met on the plane. She looked so nervous so I was asking her if it was her first time." Jennie gave her a loving smile, which Lisa managed to return despite the trembling of her cheek muscles.

"How did you capture the wild heart of Jennie Kim?" A male reporter from the audience asked, looking at Lisa.

She didn't answer right away, not knowing what to say. Her eyes found Taehyung who smiled at her, looking supportive. And when her eyes locked with Jennie's brown eyes, there was that loving look again. It looked so genuine that Lisa was speechless for a moment.

"I'm sorry, my fiancée is all new to this." Jennie said apologetically to the press before turning her attention back to the blonde, whispering (but intentionally making it decipherable). "Babe, they are asking you how you managed to capture my wild heart." Jennie let out that charming laugh.

Lisa blushed at the term of endearment.

"I'm not sure." Lisa finally managed to answer, still looking very nervous.

"She probably doesn't know how lovable she is." Jennie lifted their hands that had been intertwined since they came in, and kissed the back of Lisa's, generating a loud 'aww' from the press.

Lisa felt her ears burning. They were surely red right now.

"Why rush the marriage?" Another question from the press.

"You know, when I first saw her, I knew right then. I knew that she was the one. She has amazing brown eyes that every time I look at them, I couldn't help but wonder how I managed to last this long without her in my life. She's my soulmate, and I am hers. I want to protect her, and care for her always. So why not marry her now? I love her so much."

There was another loud 'aww' from the press.

"I love you, Lili."

Imagine Lisa's surprise when Jennie moved her head closer, her lips aiming for her own. When plump lips met hers and started moving gently, coaxing her to return the kiss, the blonde lost all willpower and despite her reservations, she kissed back.

The flashing of lights was blinding.

If circumstances had been different, Lisa knew, she would have fallen in love with Jennie Kim right then.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie was surprised to find an empty (and dirty) house the following day. She had just come home from a meeting with Taehyung and Joohyun. Her agent and manager had been so happy with the positive result of the press conference. People seemed to love the idea of the notorious playgirl settling down with the lovely blonde.

If they only knew half of it.

When Jennie couldn't find Lisa, she picked up her phone and dialed the blonde's number. The blonde answered on the second ring.

"Where in the world are you? You left the mop on the floor. The whole house is in disarray!" Jennie yelled before Lisa could even say hi.

" _Why are you yelling? I'll clean the house when I get back. If you can't wait, then do it yourself."_ Lisa grumbled in response.

"You didn't even leave a note. Just tell me where you are and I'll pick you up."

" _I'm on my way to Valencia."_

"Valencia?" Jennie frowned. What could Lisa be possibly doing in her hometown?

" _Your parents want to meet me."_ The blonde sounded nervous. She was currently sitting anxiously inside the black BMW that came earlier that morning and picked her up, driven by the Kim family driver, on their way to the Kim home.

Jennie's eyes widened in realization.

_Well, shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0 :0 next up, meeting the Kims!!


	4. FAMILY MATTERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC

Lisa Manoban had never been so scared in her life.

No one had ever scared Lisa this much. Not even the robber that broke into her home that one time.

It was almost two years ago when she woke up to crashing sounds and realized that she wasn't alone in her house. Thank god for quick thinking and her ability to stay calm, she managed to call 911 and before the help even arrived, she impulsively tried to stop the bearded robber on her own, stupidly believing that she could actually take him down with her slight training in muay thai. She got a few bruises from that struggle. He was bigger than her; he did scare her. But that ordeal did not even compare to what she was in right now.

Well, bearded robber guy wasn't Jennie's grandmother.

In the plush living room of the Kim home in Valencia, the blonde sat awkwardly and anxiously opposite the old Korean woman. Her stomach was in knots and sooner or later she was going to puke her guts out, unless grandma tears her appraising eyes away from her.

Grandma Kim was scaring the shit out of the blonde.

That's an understatement.

She never thought she'd wish it ever, but she wished Jennie was there with her right now, more than ever.

"You're Lisa, right?"

That was the first time she actually noticed the darker woman sitting next to the intimidating one. She recognized her as Jennie's mother, mostly because her smile was so similar as that of her daughter's, and because of the press photos.

Jia Kim's smile was a breath of fresh air and she couldn't help but return it.

"Yes, ma’am. I'm Lisa." The blonde nodded. She saw Grandma Kim shaking her head, looking disappointed. As to why, she couldn't think of a reason. That's the first time she actually spoke.

"Please, call me Jia. Or better yet, you can start calling me mom. I'm Jennie's mother. And this is Eunseo, Jennie's grandmother." Mom's chuckle sounded like Jennie's, and Lisa's smile grew wider.

"How old are you?"

Lisa's eyes snapped back to the direction of Jennie's grandmother. While Jennie got her mother's smile, it was obvious that her strong features were courtesy of the Kim genes. Grandma's facial expression matched that of her granddaughter's. She would have laughed at the uncanny resemblance, if grandma wasn't giving her that look.

"Uhm, I'm 25." Lisa's reply was so soft, she barely heard herself.

"And what do your parents do?"

The blonde thought of those cop shows she sometimes watch and could only place herself in the position of their suspects. Mom and grandma were playing good cop-bad cop. It sucked feeling like the bad guy.

"My father died a long time ago." Lisa turned her eyes away from grandma's prying ones. Thinking about her father always made her sad and she didn't want these people who are practically strangers to her to see her vulnerable.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Mom said in apology.

She didn't see grandma's eyes soften. But she did notice the change in her tone when the older Kim asked her again.

"Where's your mother?"

Lisa's eyes darted towards Jennie's mom before settling back to meet grandma's chocolate brown ones.

_God, even their eyes are so alike._

"I don't know where she is. I, uh… never seen her for a long time."

There it was; that look of disappointment again. Lisa was barely 10 minutes in the company of Jennie’s family and none of the few things she ever said seemed enough to get a smile from the matriarch of the Kim family. Well, she was aware that this marriage was going to be a disaster from the very first time Jennie came up with the idea. And that was even before she realized that there was going to be a set of in-laws to impress.

What Lisa wasn't aware of was that Grandma Kim was very traditional. Granted, she accepted her granddaughter's sexual orientation wholeheartedly (what, Jennie was her favorite and she loved Jennie too much), but she believed in the sanctity of marriage and the importance of family, thus, the displeasure.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

"Where did you graduate?" Grandma continued with her interrogation with that stern look plastered on her face.

Lisa started feeling the beads of sweat forming on the side of her forehead. She tried to hold grandma's stare, while in the corner of her eye, she could make out the amused smile on Jia’s lips. If there was something funny about this situation, she couldn't see it. All she knew was that she was going to faint if her heartbeat doesn't slow down in the next few minutes.

She'd rather face that bearded robber again than be here right now.

"I didn't finish college..." Lisa felt so embarrassed having to discuss her education.

Eunseo grimaced. Just like her only son, Hojin (Jennie’s dad), she valued education above all else and was disenchanted when Jennie dropped out of Brown University to be an actress. But she was faster to forgive Jennie. She had a very soft spot for her granddaughter and decided to just support her in her chosen career. Anyway, she still had other grandchildren, Jennie's younger siblings; Jungkook who recently started medical school in Johns Hopkins and Yeji, on her pre-law at Columbia.

"Why didn't you study further?"

"Mother-"

"Shush, I just want to know."

Well, Lisa was sure it was something that grandma wouldn't want to know. She hated school. She just wanted to write and dance. She felt school was just holding her back. So that's at least one thing she had in common with her future wife; they were both drop-outs.

"I wasn't very good in school. I didn't think it was for me." The blonde felt so small during that moment, so she pried her eyes away from Eunseo. Maybe if she stopped looking, grandma would do the same.

"I heard you're a dance teacher?" There it was, Jia's friendly voice; the only thing helping Lisa to stay calm and not run away.

"Yeah, I've been teaching dance for a living. But I'm trying my hands on screenwriting and I hope to finish my manuscript sometime in the next six months." The blonde looked up to meet Jia’s reassuring smile.

"I'm sure it's going to be great. You have an inspiration now. Maybe Jennie can help you pitch it to those important Hollywood people."

_Yeah, not gonna happen._

Jennie would probably have a kick out of distracting her.

Grandma cleared her throat, getting Lisa’s attention back. She looked miffed for having been ignored. Although her features had noticeably softened.

"Is it true you had been living with Jennie?" Grandma asked her again.

The blonde knew what the right answer to that was. But she couldn't exactly lie.

"Uhm, yes?" Lisa did not realize she held her breath. She watched the unreadable expression on grandma's face before she heard the woman let out a sigh.

Jia had been trying her best to hold back her laughter, watching her mother-in-law and Jennie’s fiancée. Eunseo was giving Lisa a hard time and the look on the blonde's face had been priceless. She felt sympathetic that her future daughter-in-law had to go through Eunseo's grilling, but hey, she went through it before and everyone who wants to get it on with a Kim would have to pass Eunseo's test.

This was Lisa’s turn.

It seemed that her daughter forgot to warn her fiancée about this though.

"Of course you are. That granddaughter of mine. She probably wouldn't want to let you out of her sight. I have never seen her so in love before." Eunseo shook her head. For the first time since meeting the blonde, Eunseo’s posture relaxed.

That wasn't what piqued Lisa's interest though.

_In love?_

Lisa’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.

When Eunseo learned of Jennie’s engagement on TV, she made sure to watch the press conference in full. She was surprised, but glad that her granddaughter found someone to tie her down. That was what surprised her more. She didn't approve of Jennie's long list of lovers and being the religious person that she is, prayed for someone to save her granddaughter from such miserable lifestyle.

Well, her prayers had been answered, it seemed. Because the look on her granddaughter's face that day that she told her fiancée on TV that she loves her, that was something she never thought she'd see. Jennie looked so happy, and she was happy for her.

"Do you love her?"

"Excuse me?" Lisa squeaked. She knew she was blushing because of that burning feeling on her cheeks.

"My granddaughter, do you love her?" Eunseo repeated her question, this time, more seriously, as if the blonde's answer was going to be the most important one she'd ever hear in her life.

Lisa looked at Jia again, before turning back to meet Eunseo's eyes; eyes that so resembled Jennie's. They were looking expectantly at her, hopeful. Eunseo scared her to death, and she thought of how the old woman would feel if she told her the truth. For some reason, she couldn't bear the thought.

She was never good at lying.

But, she would try her best.

She tried to think of something, anything that was good about Jennie, or being with Jennie. Her mind went back to the press conference, to Jennie's soft voice, her soft hand, the looks of 'love', and her lips…

She knew that she was blushing just by the warm feeling on her cheeks.

"When we first held hands, the first thing I thought was her hand was molded to perfectly fit mine. I didn't realize it until later, but we were thinking the same thing. Just as Jennie said, she's my soulmate and I am hers. I love her… with everything that I am."

Then she realized what she had just said.

Looking flustered more than ever, she mentally gave herself a pat on the back, having surpassed her own expectations. That was one hell of a line that would make an awesome dialogue in a movie. She made a mental note to write that down later.

_I should have been an actress._

"Come here." Eunseo beckoned the blonde to come to her open arms.

"Huh?" Confused, the blonde turned to Jia for an answer, who just smiled at her with an encouraging nod. She shifted her eyes back to grandma, who still wasn't looking very friendly but eager to have her close.

_Oh no, she's going to smother me…_

"Come here. I'm going to hug you."

Lisa just stared at Eunseo, wondering if it was supposed to be a joke or not.

"Well, come here you silly child. I don't have all day."

"Actually, you do have all day, Mother." Jia joked with her mother-in-law.

Eunseo just shrugged and waited as Lisa reluctantly got up from the couch, her steps towards her, unsure. When finally, Lisa was near enough, Eunseo pulled her close for one tight hug that she awkwardly returned.

"She's not going to stab me in the back, is she?" Lisa whispered at Jia, still with grandma's arms around her shoulders.

"No. Her nails are too short." Jia giggled as Lisa's eyes widened.

"You know I can hear both of you, right?" Eunseo pulled away, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Yeah, I'd still want to know, if you don't mind." Lisa finally found the courage to joke back, after seeing the smile on grandma's face for the first time.

She's still scared of grandma though.

The slamming of the door made everyone jump. At first, Lisa thought it was Jennie's father. Well, that would be another scary encounter and she didn't know if she could go through another petrifying interrogation. She was relieved when Jennie walked into the living room.

But the brunette looked totally pissed.

"I told you I'd bring her soon. Why did you drag her here?" Jennie didn't bother to hide her anger. She walked straight towards Lisa and grabbed her hand. When she pulled, Lisa almost lost her balance.

Jennie ignored the glare Lisa threw her way.

"No one dragged anyone." Jia answered defensively. They really just wanted to meet Lisa and they couldn't wait any longer. Her daughter was being her stubborn self and would probably wait a day before the wedding day to introduce Lisa.

"Jennie, why is it so hard to see you?" Eunseo got up from her seat, reaching out for her granddaughter but Jennie was already dragging her fiancée to the door.

"I'm sorry grandma but we really have to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? You too, mom. And I'll see you at the wedding."

"But Jennie-"

"Lili, let's go." Jennie’s grip on Lisa's wrist was tight.

"What's your problem? Let me go." Lisa tried to pry her hand away but Jennie was too strong and she was in a rush to leave. When it was obvious that she couldn't do anything, she stopped struggling and just turned her head, and waved goodbye at her future in-laws with a smile.

They seemed concerned.

Before they could reach Jennie’s white Range Rover, they ran into the brunette's father, Dr. Hojin Kim III. Jennie stopped, rear-ending Lisa. The blonde watched in curiosity as father and daughter stared wordlessly at each other.

Jennie was first to look away.

Lisa felt being pulled again and when she passed Dr. Kim, their eyes met.

"Goodbye, sir." Lisa managed to choke out before Jennie practically shoved her into the Range Rover. The man just gave her a nod.

Lisa watched Dr. Kim's reflection on the side mirror as Jennie drove away.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Is that why you're rushing to leave? Were you avoiding your dad?" Lisa asked as she sat on the passenger seat. Jennie was driving them back to Eagle Rock and the brunette hadn't said a word since they left Valencia.

"What did grandma say to you? Did she yell at you?" Jennie steered the conversation away.

"No. She was really scary though." Lisa pondered about her encounter with the old woman.

"Yeah, if she ever said any hurtful things, just don't mind them."

"You know, I never pictured you with a family."

"What?" Jennie frowned. Was that supposed to be a joke?

"Well, who would be patient enough around you? You're always so full of yourself, acting like you're a divine being or something."

Jennie just sulked in the driver's seat, hoping Lisa would get the hint and just stop talking.

"Why is your relationship with your father so bad?" The blonde turned with a curious look. She felt the tension between Jennie and her dad, despite the absence of words.

"Can we not talk?" The brunette ignored the question. She was apparently annoyed.

"Well, I want to talk." Lisa crossed her arms, aware of Jennie’s temper and she just didn't care.

"I don't."

"You're lucky you still have a father. Why are you wasting your time trying to get away from him? He obviously cares about you." Lisa did catch the defeated look and the flash of hurt on Dr. Kim’s face when Jennie walk past him. Jennie, on the other hand, was either a fantastic actress or just genuinely indifferent.

Lisa believed it was the former.

"You know nothing about my relationship with him so shut up." The brunette's hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel.

"You should be nice to him, and your mom and grandma as well. You don't know how much more time you'll have with them."

"I told you to be quiet. You're really testing my patience here." Jennie knew she was reaching her limit and silently, she wished Lisa would just leave it.

"You have to listen sometimes instead of just getting mad. You can be such a jerk to people."

"I'm a what?" The actress could not believe her ears. Lisa, the person she had only met a few weeks ago, actually had the nerve to judge her.

"I don't know if you noticed how you're being, or if you're doing it purposely. But either way, it's not cool. Your mom and grandmother were so happy to see you but you just had to force me out of there, didn't you? That was rude. You didn't even say goodbye."

"That's it." Jennie suddenly pulled to a stop on the side of the road. She glared at the blonde, who just looked at her in confusion. "Get out of the car." The brunette growled.

"What?"

"I said get out of the car! You don't know anything about me so why should I listen to anything that you say?"

Lisa looked at Jennie in disbelief, but the brunette wouldn't even look at her now. She shook her head in frustration.

"Fine." Lisa huffed in response and got out of the Ranger Rover, slamming the door shut. As soon as the door closed, Jennie sped away.

Then she realized she didn't have her purse or her wallet. When the Kim family driver came to pick her up, she had to rush and left only with her phone, assuming that she would be driven back home. Well, that was the plan until Jennie came in being all high and mighty to drag her home.

Now Lisa was alone, standing on the side of a road still outside Eagle Rock without money for a cab, nor her phone to call for one. She left her phone on the couch in their haste to leave. Hitchhiking was probably the only option she had, but she had seen the movie and again, she'd rather face bearded robber guy for the second time.

_Walk, then._

The blonde sighed. It's going to be a long afternoon.

Lisa knew she shouldn't have been so nosy, knowing Jennie's temper. They weren't exactly friends. Sure, they were getting married but it was just a business arrangement. But she felt obligated to do something. It was a need. And she couldn't explain it.

Jennie watched on the rear view mirror as Lisa's reflection became smaller as she drove away. The guilt was immediate as soon as the blonde slammed the door closed, but Jennie was too proud to say anything about it. So she did what she does best; she walked away. Or in this case, drove away.

It took her two minutes before her conscience got to her and forced her to make a U-turn at a one-way street just to cut down the time to get back. She drove the fastest and ignored the speed limits, hoping she'd find Lisa where she left her, waiting.

Her heart sank upon finding that Lisa was gone.

If something bad happens, she knew she'd only blame herself.

_Oh god, please let her be safe, please…_

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"I'm going to have beautiful great-grandchildren." The smile on Eunseo's face was so wide, you'd think she was a different person than the one interrogating Lisa a while ago. Her future granddaughter-in-law was good-looking, and she wasn't complaining.

The Kim women were having their afternoon tea in the dining room. They had removed themselves from the living room where Hojin, Jennie's father, decided to plant himself on the couch with his newspaper. He looked so grumpy and they knew better to stay away from him.

"Mother, I think you scared her too much." Jia nodded in agreement, and laughing after she took a sip on her cup of tea.

"Well, she should have visited us before they made that public announcement. I'm still hurt that we had to find out from the press. I wanted to meet my future granddaughter-in-law. Is that too much to ask?"

"Maybe we should have told Jennie that we were going to invite her fiancée over."

"You shouldn't have invited her at all." Dr. Kim came marching into the dining room with an unfamiliar cellphone on his hand. He placed it on top of the table near his wife.

Jia just looked confused.

"I think that belongs to you previous guest." He picked up the coffee maker and poured himself a cup.

"She's our soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Hojin. Don't you want to get to know her?" Jia looked at her husband in disbelief.

"If Jennie wanted her to meet us, she would have brought her home herself." He settled beside his mother and kept avoiding their eyes.

"You know how she is." Jia said in defense of her daughter.

"Yes. She's too stubborn and too proud for her own good."

"Like father like daughter." Grandma pointed out.

The doctor did not say anything back. He knew that it was the truth. He had always seen himself in Jennie, though he wouldn't openly admit it.

"Lisa was lovely. A little rough around the edges, but you would have liked her." Eunseo smiled at her son.

"I saw her."

"You did?"

"She's pretty."

Eunseo turned to Jia, and Hojin saw the meaningful look that was exchanged between the two women. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, knowing fully-well what that gesture meant. They were going to ask him for something, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't like it.

"What?" Hojin prodded. When neither his mother nor wife answered, he continued. "You want something, I know it. What is it?" He urged them to answer.

Jia cleared her throat. She didn't know how she was going to ask what they planned to ask her husband.

"Well… Mother wants to say something."

It was funny how the old Korean woman's eyes widened, totally dreading to be the one to tell her son what she and Jia had agreed upon just a while ago. She really liked Lisa for Jennie, more than she let the blonde know.

"I thought you were going to tell him." Eunseo turned to Jennie's mom in disbelief.

"You're his mother, he'd listen to you."

"Will either of you just cut to the chase and tell me what it is?" Dr. Kim growled at them.

"Lisa doesn't have anyone to walk her down the aisle." Eunseo replied.

Hojin just gave his mother a questioning look.

"I don't know who's going to be walking and who's going to be waiting but knowing my granddaughter, she probably would be the latter. And we found out that Lisa's father is dead, and well…" Eunseo turned helplessly at Jia who just gave her an encouraging look.

"Well..?"

"We thought it would be nice if you walk her down the aisle." Grandma finished, eliciting a suspicious look from her son.

"Did she want me to walk her down the aisle?"

"Well, she didn't exactly say it but-"

Hojin got up from his seat with his cup, heading for the study. But before he was finally out of the dining room, he managed spat out-

"Jennie didn't tell us she was getting married. What made you think she'd want me to walk her fiancée down the aisle?"

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It was starting to get dark and Jennie's efforts to find Lisa had been unsuccessful. She tried calling the blonde but imagine her surprise when it was her grandmother who answered. She had to listen to Eunseo's rants about her being too busy and got lectured for her failure to share the news of her engagement ahead of the rest of the world.

She also got chastised for dragging her 'fiancée' out earlier that day.

Eunseo was right. She shouldn't have just dragged Lisa out. She shouldn't have forced her to leave. She shouldn't have left her alone on the side of the road. Her grandmother accepted her apology, but she knew that the one person who deserves her apology more was still out there. She had no way to contact her, and she had no idea where she was.

Jennie was pacing restlessly outside the house, waiting for Lisa's return.

When she saw a familiar figure stagger in their street as they rounded the corner, she couldn't help the big smile on her face. Not wanting to be caught waiting, she dashed for the front door and slipped. It was literally a pain in the ass. She got up as fast as she could, scurrying towards the door.

Relieved that the blonde was finally home, proof of which was the slamming of the door that made her wince, Jennie headed for bed. As she settled under the blankets, she could hear the distinct sounds of movement in their kitchen. Jennie totally forgot about dinner, but wasn't really hungry. She tried to sleep, but that nagging feeling deep within her was keeping her wide awake.

The brunette sighed and got up from the bed.

She tiptoed downstairs. Without so much noise, she managed to get to the living room without being noticed, settling quietly on the couch. She could view Lisa from where she was sitting, and seeing how tired and hungry the blonde looked made her feel so guilty.

Jennie watched Lisa eat silently on the dining table, a box of last night's pizza and a glass of water in front of her. The blonde was barefoot; the doll shoes she previously wore lay scattered near the living room. The way Lisa was rubbing her feet against each other made the brunette feel even guiltier.

The brunette had been sitting on the couch, pretending to be reading a magazine and waiting for Lisa to scream at her or throw something at her or punch her. She was ready for that, knowing how much she deserved it. But Lisa did not seem to notice her, so she cleared her throat, louder than she normally would but still, Lisa did not turn her head.

Apparently, Lisa was ignoring her purposely.

It would have been easy to just leave her alone. That would have been Jennie’s reaction in a normal situation.

But this wasn't normal. She wasn't feeling normal. It was strange for her to feel the need to apologize, something that she never liked doing. Had it been her friend Nayeon or Jin, even Jisoo, she would have just turned the blame on them for being too nosy. Jennie didn't dwell on the how or the why.

She had to fix this now.

So Jennie tried a different approach. She got up from the couch and did some jumping jacks, looking absolutely foolish, making sure that her feet would make loud thudding sounds as it hit the granite floor, her eyes darting every now and then to the blonde's direction.

Lisa continued ignoring her, and the passive-aggressive stance was killing the brunette.

Jennie was annoyed. She was annoyed at herself for putting up with this. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was her conscience. She could just go upstairs and leave Lisa be. But going to bed with the thought of the angry blonde wasn't going to let her sleep. She just knew it.

She walked towards the table, pulled the chair opposite Lisa and sat on it.

Lisa did not even look up.

"Hey." Jennie said but got no response or any reaction whatsoever.

_Light conversation… That could work._

"My sister would be my maid of honor, or my best woman. We haven't really discussed the details of our wedding yet. Anyway, her name's Yeji", Jennie started off. She decided to leave the wedding planning to Taehyung, who hired a wedding planner for them.

"I asked my friends Jihyo and Dahyun to be my bridesmaids." The brunette continued, but still got no response from Lisa. Jennie unconsciously bit her lower lip before continuing.

"Uhm, I also asked Tzuyu… Tzuyu Chou, you know her, right?"

Of course Lisa knew her. Everybody knew her. She was a TV star and, according to the rumor mill, involved with Jennie, at one point in time.

"She was kind of my, uh, ex. Is that okay?" Somehow, Jennie felt guilty all of a sudden for asking Tzuyu ahead of telling Lisa. She didn't know why she felt it would matter to Lisa whether it's an ex-girlfriend that she would be asking as part of their entourage. But despite her failed relationship with the other actress, they were childhood friends first and remained friends after their break-up. Her, Tzuyu, Jisoo, Sehun, Nayeon, Jihyo, Dahyun and Jin were just a few names in their circle.

Again, she didn't get a reaction.

"Uhm, who's going to be your bridesmaids? Tae wants the names until tomorrow for the invitation."

Yeah, no such luck.

Jennie’s temper was rising and she was on the verge of throwing a fit, but the tired look on Lisa's face and the way she was pathetically slouched on the chair reminded her that she did her wrong and she totally deserved such treatment.

Defeated, she continued with a sigh.

"So, is this how it's gonna be? You're not even going to talk to me?"

Alas, a shrug from the blonde.

"You can yell at me, you know." Jennie conceded softly.

Lisa finally looked up, her brown eyes locking with Jennie's.

"I'm not going to yell at you." Lisa softly replied.

"Lili… you're still going to marry me, right?" Jennie shakily asked.

The blonde held Jennie’s stare for a few more seconds before getting up with her plate to wash it in the sink.

"Only because this is my father's house and it means the world to me. I'd do anything to get it back." Lisa said, with her back turned on Jennie.

"I'm sorry." Jennie had never sounded so genuine in her life.

"I'm sorry for prying. We could include 'not talking' in our contract, if that's what you want. But I don't know how we are going to tolerate each other for the rest of the year, whether we're talking or not."

"No, no. I like talking to you. I'm… I know I'm difficult sometimes, but please, please be patient with me. I'll try to be nicer." The brunette realized how pathetic she must have sounded for begging, but right at that moment, she couldn't care less.

With her back still turned on the actress, Lisa spoke.

"What are we even doing, Jennie?"

"We're helping each other out. Maybe we can be friends, I don't know. I'm not good at this stuff. I get easily angry, and my family is a very touchy subject and I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

"I don't know why I care, I just do. That look on your dad's face, it's… I'd do anything to see that look on my dad again. Well, I'd do anything to see him again." A small smile formed on Lisa’s face as the memory of her dad crossed her mind.

For a few minutes, Jennie just listened to the sound of splashing water and clinking of plates.

"He wanted me to be a doctor." Jennie opened up.

"What?" Lisa turned and saw the look of hesitation on the brunette.

"My dad. I, uh… I went to Brown and started pre-med. I didn't like it. It wasn't for me. He wasn't exactly happy when I left school."

"You went to Brown?" Lisa was so surprised that she sounded amused.

"Is that funny?" Jennie's eyebrow shot up.

"I'm not even laughing." Lisa squeaked a pitch higher, but the grin was halfway on her lips. "You went to an Ivy League school?" Lisa continued, intrigued.

"Oh, so that's it? You didn't think I was smart enough to get into an Ivy League school?"

"Now you're putting words on my mouth."

"This is unbelievable. You're unbelievable. Just when I finally start to open up, you'd find a reason to mock me. Great. That's just great." Jennie was so annoyed. She pushed her chair back and started walking back to the stairs with a pout.

"I'm impressed."

Jennie stopped on her tracks. Slowly, she turned back around to see the smile on Lisa's face.

"You are?" A smile was tugging at the corner of the brunette's lips.

"I'm just surprised. Who would have thought there's more to your notorious playgirl façade?"

"Obviously, not you." And then there's that patented Jennie Kim eyeroll.

"Come here, let's talk." Lisa walked back to the chair she was previously occupying and sat down.

"Not in the mood anymore." The actress crossed her arms.

"Stop being your stubborn self and come back here. You said we could be friends."

"I said _maybe_." Jennie emphasized.

"Do you want me to call your grandmother to force you to talk to me?"

"No!"

Lisa just had to laugh at Jennie’s face upon mentioning her grandmother.

"Fine. I'll talk. But that doesn't mean I'll answer anything that you ask me."

And Jennie wasn't lying. She wasn't that keen on opening her whole life to Lisa. It wasn't about Lisa, it was just about opening up in general. But Jennie wasn't going to lie either that she liked sharing a small part of herself to the blonde.

Now Lisa knew the reason why she had a strained relationship with her father.

Now Lisa knew that she had one younger brother named Jungkook and the youngest, her sister, Yeji.

Now Lisa knew that she went to private school in highschool but wasn't as popular as the blonde assumed her to be.

Maybe she was right, maybe they could be friends at least.

_Maybe._

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back again! hope you enjoyed this one, i’ve managed to get quite a lot ahead on the editing so updates should remain as frequent as they are now!! :)
> 
> title of the next chapter is ”Teasing Mrs. Manoban-Kim” ;)


	5. TEASING MRS. MANOBAN-KIM

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC
> 
> wedding time!!

Lisa sat alone in front of a large mirror, in a room exclusively for her, inside the Belvedere Mansion at LA County, Southern California. It was her wedding day, and she looked absolutely breathtaking in her flowing white wedding dress. She couldn't help but feel sad though, because despite of how grand and beautiful this wedding was going to be, it was far more different than the way she originally imagined it.

She didn't have her father to walk her down the aisle.

A deep sigh escaped her mouth.

It had been a few minutes since Chaeyoung had left to get Bambam, the one Lisa asked to walk her down the aisle. Her friend had been thrilled to be asked and didn't even think twice to agree. Jennie still thought she shouldn't forgive her friends so soon after what they did to her, but Lisa couldn't bear the thought of not having them in her life. She accepted their explanation whole-heartedly and she could see how genuine they were with their promise to pay her back.

The knocks on the door snapped Lisa out of her reverie. Chaeyoung usually just opens the door after knocking, making her wonder who it could be.

"It's open." The bride spoke.

She watched through the mirror as the door opened and was surprised to see who walked in.

"I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself." Jennie's father, Dr. Kim, started off timidly, taking reluctant steps towards the blonde.

Lisa got up from her chair and twirled around to face her soon-to-be father-in-law. It was weird, being alone with Jennie’s dad. This was only the second time they saw each other and the first time that she actually heard his voice. He sounded so gentle; she couldn't believe he was the same father Jennie talked to her about.

What was she supposed to say? The last time she almost got married, she never really got to the point of meeting Baekhyun’s parents. This was certainly a new experience to her, one that she never got the chance to practice.

"Uhm, about the last time, sir, I really want to-"

"It's okay." Dr. Kim interrupted before Lisa could finish her apology. He never really blamed her. "That brat." He shook his head, obviously referring to his stubborn daughter. "You can call me Hojin. Or dad. Or whatever is comfortable with you. But please, stop calling me 'sir'. I'm no royal." He chuckled at himself.

Lisa couldn't help but smile. There was something about him that reminds her so much of Jennie. Did the actress even know how much similarities she had with her father?

"I can call you Lisa, right?" He asked.

"Of course. Or whatever is comfortable with you." Lisa mimicked the doctor, making him smile. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me, and Jennie."

"I hope I'm not intruding."

"Oh, you're not. I'm glad that you came by. It's starting to get boring in here."

"Do you want me to call Jennie's grandmother? It will be interesting." He joked. His wife, Jia, had told him all about Lisa's first encounter with his mother and he couldn't help but bring it up.

It was an entertaining and amusing story.

"She scared me enough to last me a lifetime." Lisa joked back, half-meaning it.

What, Eunseo Kim was truly scary.

When their laughter finally died down and they settled in a comfortable silence, Dr. Kim continued.

"Jennie has a temper but has a good heart. Sometimes, when she's angry, she says things that she doesn't really mean. You have to be patient with her." Dr. Kim advised.

"I'll try my best. Thanks, Hojin." She smiled gratefully.

"On second thought, just call me dad. I want you to call me dad. You are after all a part of the family now."

Lisa felt the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. It was strange that just by this stranger's words, she felt like she really belongs with them, with Jennie. It was a good feeling.

Dr. Kim didn't know what to do when he saw his soon-to-be daughter-in-law tearing up. He didn't want to make her cry. He just wanted to make her feel welcome. He had the urge to hug her but felt they didn't know each other well yet, so he pulled his white handkerchief from his pocket and awkwardly offered it to Lisa.

"Here. I'm not sure I'm ready to face my daughter's wrath if she finds out I made you cry."

"You didn't make me cry." She accepted the handkerchief and gently dabbed the corner of her eyes.

"You look very pretty, Lisa." Dr. Kim complimented. His face turned serious, and he looked a bit reluctant as he continued. "I have a confession to make."

Lisa gave him a confused look.

"There's another reason why I came here. I know I'm probably crossing boundaries here, but… This is going to be the most important day in your life, and Jia had told me about your father. Would you, uh… would it be okay if I walk you down the aisle?" He sounded hopeful.

Before Lisa could answer though, the door opened again, revealing Chaeyoung with Bambam in tow.

"Oh, uhm, dad…" Lisa and Dr. Kim chuckled at the same time as the blonde used 'dad' for the first time.

Bambam and Chaeyoung didn't have to be told who 'dad' was. So, they just smiled.

"Dad, these are my friends, Chaeyoung and Bambam."

"Hi." Dr. Kim smiled at the two.

"It's great to meet you." Chaeyoung said.

"Same here." Bambam smiled.

Lisa turned her eyes back to Dr. Kim, who looked anxious standing there. She smiled and turned her attention back to Bambam.

"You're just in time Bam. There's been a change of plans." The blonde looked at Jennie’s father and gave him a reassuring smile.

In the gardens of the Belvedere Mansion where the wedding ceremony was going to be held, a nervous brunette was pacing back and forth. Her eyes flickered to her group of childhood friends and her brother Jungkook chatting animatedly at a distance. Her sister Yeji was busy forcing the members of her entourage to get into their places. At another part of the gardens, Taehyung was on the phone, talking angrily. Seated in front of the chairs were her mother and grandmother. Jennie wondered whether her father made it or just decided to skip her first daughter's wedding. She hadn't seen him around. Guests were starting to fill the chairs.

Truth is, Jennie had never imagined what her wedding day would be like. Even when she thought of proposing to Jisoo, her thoughts never went beyond the proposal stage. She didn't know what was making her nervous though.

"Congratulations."

Jennie jumped at the voice, turning around to be greeted with Jisoo’s charming smile.

"I didn't even know you were dating someone seriously. But I'm happy for you." Jisoo said genuinely as she walked towards her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you." Jennie smiled at her.

Jisoo stepped back, giving her friend a once over. Her lips formed into a wide grin.

"Vera Wang did a great job." The designer commented as she finished her assessment of Jennie’s wedding dress. It was more simple compared to the one Lisa was wearing.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Jisoo nodded. Her right hand reached up to tuck Jennie's hair behind her ear. "You look stunning."

"Tell me something I don't know." Jennie rolled her eyes. They both giggled as they settled into their old routine.

They fell in short silence, just smiling at each other, before Jisoo spoke again.

"I thought you were mad at me."

"Why would I be mad?" Jennie scowled, trying to remember what the designer was talking about. She had been preoccupied with the wedding preparations and had been spending more time at home with Lisa that she barely thought of Jisoo and what she was supposed to be angry about.

And then she remembered.

_Right. The restaurant thing._

"You barely talked to me back at the Vanity Fair party…" Jisoo sighed. "I'm sorry, for all the hurtful things that I did." She didn't want to ruin her friend's wedding by bringing up all their baggage, but she wanted to fix things with Jennie before she settled into family life.

"We're cool." The brunette smiled at her friend. It surprised her that she felt so calm about the restaurant thing when just a few weeks ago, it seemed like she was never going to be able to forgive Jisoo. It hurt Jennie to see the older woman still waiting for Sehun, but for some reason, she was resigned with the idea of just being friends with her. Jennie would rather have Jisoo as a friend than not have her in her life at all.

Besides, the designer did not even know about her plan to propose, so Jennie couldn't really blame her for leaving her at the restaurant to help Sehun with his Vanity Fair outfit.

"You'd still be here for me, right? Even though you're married and would be spending more time with your wife, you'd still be my bestfriend?"

"Jichu, where is this even coming from?"

"Just promise Jendeukie. Promise you wouldn't change."

"Jisoo Kim, listen to me. You'll always be my baby girl. Nothing would change that."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Even when you get your own real life baby girl?"

"Whoa, hold-up. I'm just getting married today. It's too early for the baby talk." Jennie raised both her hands in a defensive stance.

"I think Lisa should carry. She's nice. I like her."

She didn't know why, but she felt relieved that Jisoo approved. Sure, her opinion always mattered to her. But she never thought of asking her opinion about Lisa. Jennie always imagined that hearing her approval for her to marry someone else would be sad; she did love her but strangely, she just felt guilty.

"You met her? When?"

"Just a while ago. Well, I had to introduce myself because you conveniently avoided doing it. Too afraid I'd tell her too much about you and have her running away?"

"You wouldn't dare." Brown eyes playfully narrowed at Jisoo.

"You're right, I wouldn't. Besides, I think she loves you too much to leave you over some stories of your indiscretions in the past."

"What?"

_Did Jisoo say 'love'?_

"She looks gorgeous, Jennie."

Jennie’s lips formed into a wide smile. She had seen Lisa all made-up during the press conference and she didn't disappoint. She held back her compliments then, not wanting to sound like she was paying too much attention. That would be awkward.

"Places! Gosh, _your_ friends can't seem to understand instructions." Yeji, Jennie’s sister and 'bestwoman' walked towards their direction, her eyes rolling in annoyance as she pulled Dahyun Kim on one hand and Tzuyu Chou on her other hand.

Jennie and Jisoo watched in amusement as their friends were _thrown_ in front of them.

"The ceremony is about to start and you guys are still chatting away like this is just some mixer or something." Yeji rolled her eyes at Tzuyu who, just moments ago, was paying more attention to flirting with one of the guests than her actual role in the wedding.

"Okay, okay! You didn't have to drag me." Tzuyu whined and pulled her wrist free from Yeji’s tight grasp.

"Will you two watch them and make sure they don't wander anywhere?" Yeji shifted her eyes from Jisoo to Jennie. "I'll get the rest of Jennie’s entourage in line." Yeji was already steps away before Jennie could complain.

"Aww, that really hurts." Dahyun whimpered as she rubbed that stinging part of her wrist. "Hey Jennie. Hello Jisoo."

"Hey." Jisoo greeted back.

It didn't take long before the wedding march started playing. Jennie straightened herself out, and Dahyun made sure her hair was perfect. When she turned to her ex-girlfriend, Tzuyu grinned at her, and then held her in a tight embrace.

The wedding planner was already signaling Jennie to start walking, but before she did, Jennie turned to look at Jisoo one final time.

"This is it." Jisoo raised her hand to smooth down the side of Jennie's wedding dress, making sure it didn't even have the smallest of crease. "Smile, Jennie. It's your wedding day." With that, she playfully pushed her actress friend to the white carpet.

With a big, genuine, nervous smile on her face, Jennie started walking. She could feel people's eyes on her, but she tried to ignore them. She took slow steps, making sure not to trip. When she was near the direction of her mother and grandmother, she caught the proud and happy looks on their faces and for a moment, she wished her father was there. It was, after all, the most important moment of her life, notwithstanding the fact that it was just a deal between her and Lisa.

After reaching the front of the altar, she stopped at her spot, watching as her sister Yeji and the rest of her bridesmaids filed into a line behind her.

When the rest of the bridesmaids were on their places and Lisa’s maid of honor, Chaeyoung, came out, Jennie’s heartbeat doubled. In a few seconds, she was going to see Lisa, in her wedding dress, for the first time.

Oh, Lisa was gorgeous, alright.

At a distance, the blonde managed to knock the air out of Jennie’s chest just with that smile. The brunette was awestruck. But what really caught Jennie off-guard was the fact that her fiancée wasn't walking with Bambam.

On the blonde's right was Jennie's father, and Lisa’s right hand was tucked in her father's left arm.

Her father, Dr. Hojin Kim III was at her wedding, walking her fiancée down the aisle.

Perplexed, Jennie turned her eyes to meet her mother's reassuring ones, before it darted back to see the smile on her father's face. The brunette felt emotionally caught-up all of a sudden, her tears starting to flow. She tried to contain them, gently wiping her stained cheeks as her father stopped in front of her, handing Lisa’s hand.

For a few seconds, father and daughter stood quietly. It was Jennie who spoke first, the trail of tears still visible in her cheeks.

"Thank you, dad." She whispered as she took Lisa’s hand from him. She gave her father an awkward one-arm hug before Jennie pulled Lisa with her to face the officiating minister.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

So the ceremony exceeded all of Lisa’s expectations.

For one, she knew Lisa was going to look gorgeous. What she didn't expect was that she would look like a princess that just stepped out of the fairytale books, to marry her own 'princess charming'.

Well, she also didn't expect her father to be there, much more walk her fiancée, now wife, down the aisle. It was a very touching gesture that got her so overjoyed, she almost forgot her vows.

And the vows, just, _wow._ While she thought her own vows sounded mediocre (that wasn't true though, Jennie’s vows were amazing), Lisa's was absolutely fantastic and heartwarming. She almost cried again, but she would never admit to that.

Then there's their first kiss as a married couple; the kiss that lasted longer than she originally planned. Not that she was complaining. Jennie got caught up with the whole wedding thing, she actually felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest due to happiness.

The wedding felt so real, and she almost believed it.

And now she was here, at the wedding reception still at the Belvedere Mansion, sitting beside her wife, holding her hand. Ever since they took their seats, through all the speeches and toasts, she hadn't let go, and Jennie wasn't on planning on that anytime soon.

She liked holding Lisa’s hand.

Jennie was forced to let go, however, when they had their first dance. She wrapped her arms around Lisa’s shoulders, her hands resting on the blonde's neck. Lisa, on the other hand, wrapped her arms around Jennie’s waist, pulling her close.

"Look at me." Lisa tried to pull away to see Jennie’s face. Jennie, however, purposely held on tighter to keep them closer and to avoid having to look at Lisa’s eyes.

"What?"

"You keep looking at everyone else but me. People would think you don't want to be here. We're supposed to be _selling_ this, remember?"

"I just…"

"What?"

"I don't do eye contact, it's… spooky for me."

They continued dancing, their bodies remaining close to each other. Neither said it but both were just enjoying the moment; the feeling of being close to someone. It tickled everytime puffs of Jennie’s breath hit the skin on her neck, but Lisa didn't mind.

"You're beautiful." Jennie whispered near Lisa’s left ear.

"What?" Pale cheeks turned rosy pink.

"What?" Jennie realized too late that she actually voiced out her thoughts.

"Did you just say-"

"I didn't say anything."

"Whatever you say, Jennie." The blonde didn't sound like she believed Jennie, but decided to let it go.

"Just dance, Lili." Jennie smiled against the skin of Lisa’s neck.

"May I cut in?"

Jennie knew that deep voice too well. When she slightly pulled away from her wife, she found a wide smile on her face, her brown eyes fixed on someone standing in Jennie’s right.

There was her father, trying to hide the uneasiness, waiting for her response.

The brunette felt the arms around her waist loosen. She fixed a questioning look at her wife, who just shrugged at her and stepped aside for her father-in-law.

Dr. Kim gratefully smiled at the blonde, before taking over. He wasn't a very good dancer, but despite his lack of grace, he wanted his father-daughter dance. Without a word and without giving her daughter the opportunity to refuse, he reached for Jennie’s left hand and held it up with his right, while his left hand rested on her hips.

The whole dance had been uncomfortable for both Kims. Jennie kept her distance as far away as possible, while her father kept looking at everywhere else but her. It was taking forever for the song to end, and the actress couldn't wait to get back into Lisa's arms, where she felt secure.

Lisa had disappeared since Jennie’s father asked for a dance with her. She was dancing a while ago with Jennie's brother Jungkook, but anxiety took over when she found her brother dancing with Jihyo this time. Brown eyes kept scanning the room for a sign of long flowing blonde locks, and in her search for her missing wife, her expression turned sour.

Lisa was with a new dance partner.

And that new partner was Sehun Oh.

Brown eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No need to get jealous now. She's married to you already." Dr. Kim finally spoke after seeing her daughter's eyes land on Lisa’s direction.

Jennie looked up at him in surprise, not realizing how obvious she had been staring.

"I'm not jealous."

Dr. Kim laughed. Jennie gave him a questioning look.

"You're my daughter. I know you."

"Really, I'm not. I don't care if-" Jennie trailed off, seeing Sehun’s hand slid dangerously lower Lisa’s back.

Her eyes narrowed at him.

Sehun should be thanking the gods that Jennie didn't have laser beams shooting out of her eyes, or he'd be toast right now.

"Why is she letting him hold her like that?" Jennie growled in disbelief. Sehun was being too touchy-feely with the blonde, and Lisa wasn't even doing anything to stop him. The brunette thought their proximity with each other was inappropriate (it wasn't. Jennie was just overreacting).

When she saw Lisa laugh at something Sehun had said, Jennie grimaced.

Dr. Kim’s eyes followed his daughter's line of sight, chuckling at what he saw.

"Not jealous my ass."

"I said I'm… wait, did you just say 'ass'?" Jennie raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wanted to sound cool." He shrugged.

Now, Jennie would have laughed in amusement, if her eyes still weren't trained at her wife dancing with her douche friend, letting his hand roam lower.

"Go." Dr. Kim stepped back, giving her space.

"What?"

"It's your wedding day. You're the one your wife's supposed to be dancing with all night long."

"Hey, dad."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for today."

"We still have a lot to talk about, honey."

"I know. But today means everything in the world to me. I'll never forget it." Jennie wrapped her arms around her father for one last hug, before putting her game face back on. This was her day and she wasn't going to allow Sehun to steal her thunder.

Not now.

Not ever.

And she wasn't going to allow him to steal so much of her wife's time, either.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

_Jennie stirred from her sleep, feeling the weight of someone, hovering on top of her._

_Her eyes snapped open, widening in shock. Lisa was straddling her thighs, wearing that super short dress she had never seen before. She obviously wasn't wearing a bra, seeing that she could make out the shape of her nipple against the fabric of her clothes. When the blonde bent down, her center rubbed against the skin of Jennie’s right thigh, and the actress didn't have enough energy to suppress the moan it elicited from her mouth._

_She felt like she was about to die._

_As the locks of blonde hair descended upon her, a warm pale hand began to roam the right side of her body, stopping at the part of her waist where her tank top had bunched up during sleep, and lingering at the exposed skin of her hips._

" _What-" Jennie gasped as Lisa’s playful hand started inching upwards, caressing the part of her torso just under her right breast. "… uh, what are you doing?" She managed to squeak breathlessly. The blonde was doing wondrous things with her hand, and it was definitely turning her on._

_But didn't they agree not to demand physical intimacy from each other, this being a business arrangement and all?_

_All rational thoughts were immediately thrown out of the window, however, when she felt the teasing hand move up to cup her breast. Her eyes shut closed and she squirmed underneath as she felt Lisa’s breath hit the side of her neck. She didn't get any answer from her wife, not that she could even remember what her question was, especially now that the blonde started leaving a trail of wet kisses from her neck up to the side of her mouth, eventually capturing her lips for a deep kiss while her hand continued with its ministrations on her breast, and moving on to the other._

_Without any reservation, she returned the kiss, feeling how the blonde's lips formed into a smile whilst they deepened the kiss. Lisa was grinding her hips against Jennie and the brunette did the same, thrusting upwards._

"Jen _…" Lisa whimpered at the contact, obviously needing more._

_Her name never sounded so good in anyone else's lips. But the way her wife said it was so sexy, Jennie couldn't help but get more turned on._

_If that's even possible._

_So, Jennie, who 'promised' to be a good wife to Lisa during their vows, resolved to give what her wife wanted and repeated the previous thrusting of her hips, drawing out a louder groan from Lisa. Her dominant personality now taking over, she flipped their positions, now with Lisa underneath her, and Jennie on top._

_Jennie leaned down, capturing Lisa’s lips for another kiss. It was longer, deeper. She could feel the heat on the pit of her stomach, making its way downwards as Lisa’s tongue made contact with her own, gently caressing each other. Her right arm was supporting her weight, while her left grabbed the hem of Lisa’s dress, pulling it up. She broke the kiss, just so she could completely take it off from the blonde, and Lisa helped her by slightly lifting her torso up._

_The actress felt her mouth go dry as her eyes feasted on Lisa’s body, which was covered by nothing but her sexy g-string, leaving nothing to the imagination. Her breasts were perfect, her_ _nipples pink, and her abs, well, wow._

_Jennie didn't wait long to dive in and continue their kiss. This time, it was rather sloppy, but neither could care less as they were both so turned on. Her left hand shamelessly grope Lisa's right breast, making sure to give more attention to her pink nipple, and then downwards, excited to explore all other parts of the blonde's body. She pulled on her wife's lower lips with her own,_ _while her hand cupped Lisa’s right ass cheek, squeezing._

_Wanting to taste more of Lisa, Jennie pulled away from the kiss, making the blonde moan at the loss. She grinned, and it didn't take long before her lips found something to keep them busy again. Plump red lips attached themselves to Lisa’s luscious neck, as the blonde tilted her head to allow her more access. She nipped on the skin, gently bit to tease, and licked to soothe the mark she made sure to leave. Lisa’s hands found purchase on her brunette locks, trying to keep her there._

_But of course, Jennie had other plans._

_Brown eyes locked predatorily on Lisa’s breasts, and without a beat, Jennie started kissing downwards. Upon reaching its first destination, i.e. Lisa’s left breast, she sucked on the pink nipple,_ _licking and swirling her tongue to give more than enough attention._

_The moan that left Lisa’s mouth sent shivers through Jennie’s body._

_Jennie's hand began tracing the contours of pale, taut abs, and she couldn't believe just how amazing it felt against her palm. She started kissing and then licking, repeating it over and over as she delved into new areas of Lisa’s abs that she hadn't touched while her hand continued its exploration lower, tracing the string of the blonde's little underwear. She gasped when her hand stopped on top of Lisa’s still-covered center._

_She was so wet._

_When Jennie looked up to meet darkened orbs, she could tell that Lisa was ready._

_S_ _o, without having to be told on what to do, Jennie shifted, pulling her body downwards and leveling her face with Lisa’s wetness; the heady scent almost driving her crazy. Before she could pull the g-string off the writhing blonde, she heard her husky voice call out her name again._

" _Jen…"_

"Jennie."

The voice sounded so far away this time and it rang through Jennie’s ears. It didn't sound as sexy as it was before, but she ignored it.

"Jennie!"

Jennie jolted and felt the sudden pain on her right shoulder as she fell on the floor with a loud thud. A pair of brown eyes was curiously staring back at her. She frowned in confusion. While she thought Lisa looked beautiful at that moment, the way she looked a while ago was even better.

She was naked.

And making those beautiful grunting noises while Jennie worked her tongue down on her-

_Oh, wait._

It had all been a dream.

A vivid dream that looked all too realistic to be just that, a dream.

_Fuck._

Lisa was staring at her expectantly.

Jennie felt her face burning in embarrassment as she got up, feeling how wet her underwear was, while Lisa continued staring at her. She made sure to avoid looking at those eyes that were darker when she last saw them.

_I know, I know, the lustful eyes were just a dream as well, but still…_

Awkward.

"Were you having a nightmare?" Lisa asked.

"What?" Jennie looked even more flustered at the deeper sound of her voice. It felt so hot that her eyes started to wander, looking for the AC and found that it was actually working.

"You're acting strange."

"No, I'm not. I was just gonna, uh-"

"Well, when you start being yourself again, why don't you bring your luggage to the bedroom because I'm not about to pick them up for you." Lisa pointed to Jennie’s bags on the floor of the living area.

Jennie just nodded.

When Lisa was out of her sight, the brunette was finally able to let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She still felt hot so she began fanning herself.

_Ah, cold shower!_

With that, Jennie made a run to the bathroom and locked herself for an hour.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It was when she was ready to go to bed when Jennie realized that the bedroom situation was going to be a problem.

They couldn't really request for an extra bed; that would be suspicious. She didn't even realize she had been sex-deprived for so long since announcing her engagement with Lisa and couldn't believe how sexually frustrated she was at the moment. Now after the wedding, and here at their honeymoon suite at the romantic La Casa Que Canta in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, with the thought of sleeping beside the blonde who looked so stunningly beautiful at their wedding, she felt even more frustrated.

That deliciously sexy wet dream that she had didn't help at all.

It was easy to get infatuated with the blonde, thus, the slip during their first dance.

Why didn't she think of the consequence of not being able to have sex with anyone, for a year, when she signed that contract with Lisa? How was she going to survive that? She couldn't exactly sneak around having one-night stands or short-time relationships like she used to. Things were different now. She was married, and she promised Tae and Joohyun that there wasn't going to be anymore scandals.

It was going to be a long night, and she was absolutely dreading it.

Jennie found Lisa placing some comforter on the couch of the living room, looking even more beautiful without her make-up. She stood entranced for a few seconds before she realized that the writer was already giving her a weird look.

Recovering from the spell she was previously in, she scoffed at Lisa.

"Yes you can take the couch." Jennie was relieved that she wouldn't have to sleep inches away from her now wife. She smelled like she just got out of the shower, and her skin looked so smooth, she was afraid of what she would do if she actually got to sleep next to her.

_What? She's only human after all._

"Do you even know how to be considerate?" Somehow, she had a thought that Jennie might offer the bed and volunteer to take the couch. Knowing Jennie, however, it was obviously just wishful thinking.

"Me? That's what you should be doing."Jennie could already tell that the couch was too short for Lisa’s long legs. Her mind involuntary went back to her most recent dream and she had to shake her head out of it before she was forced to change her underwear again.

"Such a scumbag." Lisa mumbled to herself.

"What did you say?" Jennie caught what she said, though.

"You heard me."

"You know what. You're right. The bed's big enough for both of us. Come on, we can share it. We can sleep on the same bed. We are, after all, married now, aren't we? Come here, sweetheart." The brunette gave her wife a sickeningly sweet smile, but Lisa just rolled her eyes at her.

Jennie headed for the bedroom. She was so glad when Lisa did not follow. But, being who she was, she decided to mock her wife and shouted for her to hear.

"It's okay, honey! If you don't want to sleep with me right now, we can do it another time!" She grinned, knowing that she was probably getting into Lisa’s nerves. As she lay down the bed and before she could turn the lamp off, the door was thrown open and an angry blonde walked in.

Jennie sat, her eyes wide.

"I thought you were-"

Lisa took her shirt off.

And Jennie swallowed her tongue.

_Mmm, abs._

Jennie stared open mouthed, thinking of how they looked even better in reality than in her dream.

"What are you doing?" Jennie yelped when she found her voice again. The blonde was making her way to the bed, on her bra and pajamas, and her eyes were still trained on her abs.

"It's hot." Lisa shrugged casually and lay on the right side of the bed beside the brunette, who was sitting dumbfounded.

When the bed dipped, Jennie realized the reality of it all and she leapt backwards, almost falling on the floor.

"I want to sleep here, deal with it." The blonde made herself comfortable and closed her eyes, feeling the brunette's eyes fixed on her.

"Fine."

Well, if Lisa was going to torture her like this, Jennie thought it was only fitting that she took her shirt off too.

Lisa’s mouth formed an 'o' when her eyes settled on Jennie’s four-pack.

_Damn._

Jennie lay on the middle of the bed, too close to Lisa for her own liking, but silently hoping that it would piss the blonde enough. Maybe she would decide to move back to the couch.

That didn't happen though.

Lisa, who was just annoyed, kicked Jennie on her foot. Jennie kicked back.

The blonde tried to shove the brunette with her arm. Jennie just imitated her action.

Lisa started kicking Jennie again and they began pushing each other. When the writer almost fell off the bed, she got up, screaming at Jennie.

"Hey!"

"What!" Jennie got up as well.

Now they were both sitting incensed at each other. They both wanted the bed but neither wanted to sacrifice and take the couch. Lisa tried that, but it was too uncomfortable, since her legs were too long.

"I'm not taking the couch!" Jennie whined.

"I would if I could at least fit in there! You're shorter, you'll fit!"

"Did you just insult my height?"

"You're so defensive!"

"I'm not taking the couch!" Jennie repeated.

"Yeah, well, neither am I!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Make me!"

Jennie grabbed Lisa’s shoulder, preventing her from thrashing around. The blonde eyed her suspiciously. The brunette's face was moving closer and Lisa felt her heart rate speed up.

Jennie was thinking how dare Lisa was to challenge her. Of course she wouldn't back down. Kissing her was the first idea that came to mind. She thought it would work to force the blonde out of the bedroom. She pulled Lisa’s shoulders closer, but the writer sat stiffly in front of her.

It became clear to Lisa what Jennie’s purpose was when the brunette puckered her lips and leaned in at a distance close enough for her to feel her breath and smell Jennie’s toothpaste.

They had kissed before. This wasn't going to work to force her out of their bedroom, right?

Wrong.

Lisa thought of their current situation. There wasn't anyone else in their suite. It was just the two of them. There wasn't anyone to witness it. If they kiss now, without anyone to convince about their relationship, it would be different.

This was different.

They were alone.

Kissing would mean something more than just selling it.

So, Lisa ran out. But not before pushing Jennie away from her, sending the brunette tumbling on the edge of the bed, and falling with a loud thud on the floor, on her back.

"Owww…" Jennie winced in pain, thinking how she got so prone to accidents since having the blonde in her life.

_What the hell did just happen?_

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp, that was something huh?? see ya next update!


	6. PAPER CRANES, PROMISES AND WEDDING RINGS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s 4am and i just came back from a night out, i tried my best to proofread this but in this drunk state i can’t be certain i succeeded 😂 anyway, enjoy!
> 
> and also,would u believe if i told you  
> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC

"Hey."

Her wife's voice wasn't enough to make Lisa turn her eyes away from her laptop. After they finished lunch, an idea struck the blonde and she did not waste any time. She had to immediately put it into words, and she was intent on not letting anything or anyone distract her.

"I only start to function after my third cup of coffee. Bring me a cup by the pool, will you?"

Jennie stood by Lisa’s right, her arms on her hips. That, the blonde could make out with her peripheral vision; a sign that the actress was getting impatient. Still without tearing her eyes away from the task at hand, Lisa just grumbled a response.

"Just what are you gonna do without me?"

"Are you going to make me a cup of coffee or what?" Jennie rolled her eyes, watching her wife as she continued to type away in her laptop.

"You know, that attitude is not really going to get you what you want." Lisa blindingly pointed at Jennie’s direction with her right hand; her eyes remained fixed on the laptop, scanning what she had written down so far.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Lili, darling?"

The change in Jennie’s tone twisted the blonde's expression into a grimace. And with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face, the brunette continued.

"I'd love it if you could bring me a cup of coffee by the pool… please?"

That last part did it. It's not everyday that you'd hear Jennie Kim say the word 'please'. So, finally, Lisa tore her eyes from her laptop, but she didn't have time to let the victory smile form on her face. The sight before her immediately blew her away, and it seemed like her tongue was blown away as well because no word came out of her mouth.

Her wife stood barefoot at the dining room, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders in beautiful big waves, covering her shoulders but not the rest of the skin exposed by the two-piece bikini she was wearing.

And damn, red looked so good on her.

"Please, babe?"

Lisa felt like she was trapped in haze, her head nodding an involuntary yes.

After she got the response that she wanted, Jennie grinned, and started heading to the pool at the back of the house, a pair of brown eyes following her.

Spellbound, Lisa kept her eyes on Jennie, but didn't realize that as she turned her body around, the chair tilted on one side. It was too late when the chair tipped backwards, sending the blonde on a stumble down the floor. Needless to say, the loud clanking sound of furniture sent Jennie rushing back in time to see her wife pushing herself up from the floor, and brushing invisible dirt off her clothes.

When Lisa got on her feet, Jennie was already in front of her, an eyebrow raised and arms crossed.

"Done checking me out?"

"I wasn't checking you out."

_Tease._

Lisa groaned in pain, rubbing the part of her back that she could reach. That sure was going to bruise.

"That chair was old. We should buy a new dining set. Those really durable ones that wouldn't break." Lisa said, hoping to divert the attention away from her. She had never felt so embarrassed and knew that her ears were red already.

Jennie's eyes went over the chair that was still lying on the floor, inspecting it. She quirked an eyebrow at Lisa.

"It's not broken."

"Will you please put some clothes on?" It took too much effort on Lisa’s part to keep her eyes away from Jennie's bikini-clad body. The last thing she wanted was to be caught leering but it was hard not to when her wife was standing a few feet away, almost half-naked.

"I _am_ wearing clothes. Do you expect me to go swimming with pajamas on? Besides, this is my house. I can wear whatever I want. I used to walk around naked, and now I can't even wear my bikinis?"

Yeah, well, it was kind of distracting.

For Lisa, that is.

"What are people going to say if they see you?" Lisa wasn't exactly conservative. She loved wearing bikinis herself, it's comfortable. So, chastising Jennie about wearing them was kind of hypocritical on her part.

"First of all, no one's going to see me. Our nearest neighbor is miles away. Second, they'd say I have amazing abs and assume that we must have such an exciting sex life. Personally, I'd like them to think of it that way. It seems like it's all the 'action' I'm going to get while I'm married to you." Before Lisa could say anything more, Jennie was already steps away to her original destination. "Thanks for the coffee, babe!" Jennie called out one last time before she exited the glass door to the poolside.

It was ten minutes later when Lisa walked grudgingly at the poolside. She wasn't planning on staying longer, after what happened earlier at the dining room, and now with Jennie on the pool and all wet…

"Wanna join me?"

Lisa almost dropped the cup of coffee when she heard Jennie's sexy, sultry voice which seemed to have gotten deeper. Carefully, she placed the cup down the small table in front of her.

"Uhm, no."

"Where's the cake?" Jennie was threading at the side of the pool, nearest to Lisa.

"Just drink your coffee, Jennie."

"But you have to have cakes on birthdays. It's like an unwritten rule." Jennie stated like it was the most obvious fact.

That stopped Lisa on her tracks. She found curious brown eyes staring up at her. Was it Jennie's birthday today? If it was, she felt a little bit guilty for not knowing. They were married, and knowing each other's birthdates was basic. What if someone asked?

"It's your birthday?" The blonde asked.

"No." Jennie frowned, in utter disbelief that Lisa didn't remember her own birthday. "Are you being serious right now?"

Lisa just gave her a curious look.

"It's _your_ birthday."

Lisa blinked, recalling yesterday's date and figuring out today.

"Oh."

"What, you forgot?" Jennie swam to the edge of the pool and held on to the side.

"I was busy." Well, that was true. The blonde had been spending her afternoons teaching dance at Bambam's dance studio. Her mornings were spent cleaning the house and the pool and whatever free time she had was spent writing.

"You're weird. Haven't any of your friends greeted you, yet?"

"I haven't checked my phone. Wait, how did you know it's my birthday?"

"I have ways." And by 'ways', Jennie meant two particular people that she recently visited and warned not to even think of crossing her wife ever again.

It was last week when she stepped foot, for the first time, at Bambam’s dance studio. The original reason why she went there was to check out Lisa’s workplace. She had spent the whole day at downtown LA, in Taehyung’s office, going through schedules of appearances and discussing future projects which included a full-length feature of Batgirl. It was interesting, but she was still having doubts about playing the part.

At the end of her work day, Jennie couldn't wait to go out to dinner with Lisa, but for some reason, she couldn't reach her on her phone. So, she drove back to Eagle Rock, hoping that she'd find the blonde still teaching dance at the studio. She hadn't had the chance to see her at work before.

She was totally bummed upon finding out that she just missed Lisa.

But, not wasting her presence at the dance studio, she made sure to give Asian Fusion a piece of her mind. Unlike Lisa, she still detested the fact that they took advantage of Lisa's kindness. What if it was someone else who bought the house? Where would Lisa be living now if not with her?

Anyway, after a long talking-to, Jennie felt a little bit forgiving and spent a few more minutes having a real, small talk with them. That's when she found out that Lisa was about to turn 26.

Today.

"So, do you have like, plans or something?" Jennie was being uncharacteristically shy. She had been at a limbo since waking up earlier that morning, thinking of ways on how to invite the blonde to dinner without it sounding like a date. Sure she had reserved a table at her favorite fancy restaurant and it had a romantic feel in it, but she didn't want Lisa to get the wrong idea about it. That would just be awkward. But it was Lisa’s birthday and she wanted to do something special for her.

She could make it simple and just tell Lisa about her dinner reservation, but she didn't want to assume that the blonde had nothing else to do.

"I'm going to Disneyland." Lisa’s lips were now formed into a large grin.

"Disneyland?" Jennie asked, eyebrows knitted, expression torn between amusement and astonishment.

When she was younger, Lisa’s father took her to that theme park every year. It had been her birthday tradition. After he died, she continued the tradition with Bambam and Chaeyoung.

"It's my birthday tradition. My dad used to bring me to Adventureland on my birthdays." The excitement could be seen through Lisa's eyes, eliciting a smile from Jennie. But the smile on Jennie's lips didn't last long. "I should call Bam and Rosé."

Well, there goes all of Jennie's dinner plans. Her brown eyes followed Lisa's retreating figure with frustration, but the look was gone and an indifferent one replaced it as the blonde stopped on her tracks, turning around to face her again.

"Do you want to go?"

Second choice. That was what's running through Jennie's head at the moment. While she was touched at the invitation, her ego was already bruised and she was just annoyed. Instead of answering, Jennie just rolled her eyes and swam away from Lisa to the other end of the pool.

She was peeved. She was the one who reminded Lisa of her birthday and of all people to spend her day with, she thought of her opportunistic friends first? Sure, she probably had plans already, but she thought that it would automatically include her. They were, for all intents and purposes, married.

"You could go if you want." Lisa looked encouraging, and her smile was causing something to break Jennie's resolve. The brunette's inner turmoil was invisible to Lisa, however.

"Who says I want to go? My schedule is full today."

"Come on Jennie, it would be fun."

Jennie made sure to avoid looking at Lisa's eyes.

"That place is too crowded for me. I'd get mobbed by fans." Jennie spoke with obvious irritation.

"Okay. Well, is there somewhere you wanna go?"

"No." Jennie tried not to sound bitter, but Lisa must have noticed because the blonde was now looking suspiciously at her.

_Wuss._

"Are you sure? Because I could-"

"I told you, I've got things to do. I've got guest appearances and photo shoots and… stuff." Jennie huffed in answer.

"Okay."

"Uhm, so what time will you be home?" Jennie asked in the most casual way possible.

"Late, I guess."

"What?"

"It's my birthday and I intend to enjoy it."

"What about me?" Jennie asked, unconsciously pouting.

"I thought you said your schedule is full?"

"Right. Uh, yeah. In fact, Tae’s probably pissed that I'm running late right now." Jennie then climbed out of the pool and dashed back to the house, dripping wet, and creating a trail of water behind her.

Lisa would have called Jennie out for the mess she was making on the floor.

If she wasn't so busy checking out Jennie's ass, that is.

What, she's only human.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Well, look who's here. What the hell are you doing here, bee?" Taehyung asked as he entered his office, eyes focused on the only person inside the room. He just got out of a meeting with another client and was surprised when his secretary informed him at the door that Jennie was inside, waiting for him. They didn't have anything set for today, as far as he could recall.

"No reason." The brunette answered, sounding utterly bored. She sat in front of the conference table, drumming on the table with the two pens she held on each of her hand.

Taehyung took the opposite chair and shot her a curiously amused look.

"That's why I'm surprised." He did not get any more response, to which he quirked an eyebrow. His friend continued fiddling with the pens, entertaining herself as she got lost in her own world, occasionally glancing at her watch to check the time.

Something was up and Taehyung could tell.

"I could barely get you in here when there's a reason to. So, what's up?"

"Can't I just come here and see you?"

"Aww, did you miss me? I'm touched." Taehyung placed his right hand on top of his heart, mocking his friend. Since Jennie got married, something in her had definitely changed. He just couldn't figure it out yet.

But it was a good change.

He barely avoided the pen that was thrown his way.

"Who are you and what have you done to Jennie Kim?" Taehyung laughed in amusement, but Jennie just kept ignoring his jabs.

"Hey, do you wanna go to Disneyland?"

Instead of hearing an answer, Jennie heard her friend laughing. So, she glared at him. That got him to stop.

"Oh, you weren't joking?"

"It could be fun."

That certainly got Jennie a strange look from Taehyung.

"What are you, 5?"

"It's not just a children's park. Don't you want to discover the mysteries of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye?" Jennie knew how lame she sounded but didn't really care.

It looked like Taehyung was about to burst out laughing.

"Bee, I wish I had time to do stupid things with you, but I've got a lot on my hands today."

"It's not stupid." The brunette threw the remaining pen on her hand at Tae, hitting him on the chest.

"Okay, it's just a figure of speech." He raised his hands in surrender.

"Figure of speech my ass. You just have to say no if you don't want to go. But you don't have to call it stupid."

"You're a little defensive today."

"I'm not defensive."

"Fine. I'm sorry. We could go there next week. I'm clearing my schedule for you if you want." Taehyung conceded. He wasn't keen on rearranging his schedule for Disneyland, but despite of how silly Jennie seemed to be right now, he'd do that for her. They were friends, after all.

"But I want to go now." She pouted.

"Why, what's so important about today?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Nothing."

"What's in Disneyland, Jennie?"

"You know what? I'm not going to force you to go with me, so, _annyeong._ I'm going now." Jennie pushed her chair backwards and marched out of the room without so much of a goodbye.

Taehyung could only shake his head in amusement.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie figured that her Yankee cap and aviator shades wouldn't really work to hide her identity at Disneyland. But it was an amusement park, so she was more than thankful to find another way to disguise herself.

A mask of the Lion King.

It had fur and was really itchy but she kept it on as she strolled into Adventureland. She regretted not probing Lisa about her Adventureland escapades. It was frustrating just deciding on which particular theme park she would be entering first.

Indiana Jones.

Tarzan's Treehouse.

Enchanted Tiki Room.

Jungle Cruise.

_Fuck it._

Jennie just let her feet take her wherever and found herself inside the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

_Shit._

It was dark. And tricky. And how was she supposed to find Lisa here? Taking refuge in the darkness, Jennie took the mask off, scratching her cheeks. As she wandered around, she made sure to stay away from people and in the dark. She kept the mask on in more illuminated areas.

It didn't take long to lose her patience and before she could finish the adventure, she left.

Next stop, Tarzan's treehouse.

She climbed up, head turning at every direction, her heart pumping fast time every time she saw a flash of blonde hair. It was hard with the mask on, but she didn't really have a choice. Still exhausted from her Indiana Jones adventure, Jennie walked to the hanging bridge, finding a vantage point. There, she stopped for a few minutes watching the people below her, silently hoping Lisa would finally show up.

Still, there was no Lisa.

The day wore on and she didn't have enough time to search all the other theme parks. Jennie was already panting from all the walk she did and she was tired to the bone. Not to mention she was really thirsty. The brunette went to the nearest refreshment stand and bought a bottle of water. After she got her change, that's when she realized the problem.

Drinking was not going to be possible with the Lion King mask on.

She looked around, assessing the situation. Children and adults alike passed by her, too engrossed with everything that the park had to offer. Maybe they wouldn't even notice her, she thought. So, all things considered, she decided to take her mask off and just drink her water as fast as she could.

That proved to be a mistake, though.

Because as soon as she took the mask off her and lifted the bottle of water up to her lips, a child, about 6 or 7 years old, suddenly stopped in front of her, eyes wide and pointing her little chubby fingers at her.

"It's Johanna! Mommy, look it's Johanna Mason!" The girl shrieked.

Jennie sputtered her water out upon hearing the girl calling her by her Hunger Games character.

She was caught.

Curious eyes were now focused on her and people were starting to gather. The kid was smiling at her and she tried to smile back, still annoyed that her cover had been blown. She heard the whispers and she could tell the recognition on people's faces. Some greeted her and she just gave a hand wave in return. But the crowd was beginning to get out of control.

More and more people were stopping. Everything was happening so fast and everytime somebody took the space beside her for a picture, she forced a smile. It was hard to feign cheer when you were being cautious at the same time. She wasn't really up to being squashed by a mob of fans today.

So, after a few more posing with fans, she gave them one final wave, and walked away.

She heard footsteps following her. When she looked back, she was mortified.

Jennie bolted, with hundreds of fans trailing behind her.

Thank god she was a fast runner.

The exit was too far away and the only escape she found was a door that was fortunately unlocked. As soon as she got inside, she locked it as fast as she could, and let out a sigh of relief. She could still hear the fans calling from outside and banging on the door. When she got a good look of the place she was locked in, she couldn't help but cringe.

Jennie was locked in a men's room.

Not the best placed to be locked in.

She tried not to breathe.

Jennie made sure to not wander away from the door. She fished out her iPhone from her pocket and dialed Taehyung's number.

It took thirty minutes for Taehyung to arrive with Jennie’s bodyguards.

It took another ten minutes for them to pull her out of the frenzied crowd.

One of her bodyguards drove her Range Rover back to Taehyung's office while Tae insisted that she rode with him on his Hummer just to lose the paparazzi if ever they caught wind of Jennie's whereabouts.

"What are you even doing here? You're gonna be all over the papers again tomorrow. You look ridiculous." Taehyung briefly turned his eyes away from the road to Jennie.

Jennie sat brooding on the passenger seat. She obviously had wasted time and effort for nothing. Where in the world was Lisa? She checked her watch and concluded it was too early to hit the clubs. Disneyland was a place too big to search, but she was sure she was going to see the blonde there.

Obviously, she was wrong. She was mumbling things to herself when she felt her friend nudging her on her elbow.

"Jennie?" Tahyung prodded, still waiting for an explanation. He didn't think Jennie would go there alone after she left the office earlier. That was just so uncharacteristic of her.

"I was looking for my wife. It's her birthday today." She confessed.

"Oh." Taehyung finally understood.

Lisa was the reason why Jennie was insistent on going there that afternoon.

He couldn't help but smile.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"I'm sorry that you had to cancel your plans with your friends." Sehun looked up from the papers he was reading. Earlier, he had called Lisa and asked her to come to his office. He wanted to discuss one of the synopses Lisa previously submitted. The story had promise but needed some tweaking.

"It's okay. This is work and I'm sure they'd understand. We could go to Disneyland on another day." Lisa was really thrilled when she got the call from Sehun. She had been waiting for it, hoping he'd like one of the synopses she submitted.

"Disneyland?" He asked, a curious look directed at Lisa.

"Yeah." The blonde felt a bit embarrassed all of a sudden.

"I haven't been there since I was 7." Sehun chuckled.

"I go there every year to celebrate my birthday. It's sort of been a tradition between me and my dad."

"It's your birthday? Why didn't you say so? I could have gotten you something." All of his attention was now on Lisa, losing all interest on the script (not Lisa's) he was previously reading. Sehun leaned back on his chair, eyes fixed on the blonde.

"You don't have to get me anything. This opportunity is more than enough." Lisa was truly grateful that Sehun was giving her a chance. It wasn't easy getting into the Hollywood business. There were so many hopefuls out there, some even more talented. All she needed was a chance. When she thought about it, her Hawaii trip had been a blessing in disguise, although that cost her her father's house. But that's where she met Sehun, and that's how she met Jennie. All of those situations came together, and that's what brought her here now.

"Well, happy birthday Lisa." Sehun was glad that they were both sitting down because he wasn't really sure how to properly greet Lisa. Was he supposed to shake her hand, or hug her? He opted to just smile. That was safer.

"Thanks." Lisa smiled.

"So, do you have plans with Jennie today?" He tried to sound uninterested.

Lisa’s smile slightly faltered. She would have loved to spend some time with Jennie today.

"No. She's too busy with work."

"She should be making time for you."

"I married a movie star. I know how it is."

"You're supposed to matter more than her career. It's your birthday today, and it only happens once a year." His expression turned formal. Sehun knew Jennie since childhood; she had the tendency to take things (or people) for granted.

"Uhm, can we just talk about my synopsis? I don't really want to waste your precious time venting about my wife." Lisa felt her mood suddenly shifting. While she understood Jennie, she was still disappointed.

Sehun noticed the writer's attempt to turn the conversation around.

"You shouldn't be alone on your birthday."

"I'm not alone. You're here."

"Right. I'd invite you out, but I have other things to do after this meeting with you."

"Bummer. You would have loved my favorite spaghetti place."

"Maybe next time. As for now, we could order some take out and discuss your story over dinner."

"I'd like that."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It was late and Jennie had been pacing the dark living room for hours now. Lisa was still out and she had no idea where the blonde was. Surely, she wasn't in Disneyland. Or in Adventureland. That place was so big and the whole day wasn't enough to look for her. It was quite impossible to look for anyone with that amount of people, like looking for a needle in a haystack. Maybe she should have called. But she didn't want to seem clingy. She could call now, but didn't want to give Lisa the idea that she cared.

The blonde was probably too busy partying with Bambam and Chaeyoung at the moment to notice if she actually called. She was beginning to worry when the faint sound of a car door being closed caught her attention. She rushed to the window, only to get riled up by the scene before her eyes. Lisa was standing on the side of a black Lexus, leaning on the window and talking to the driver.

_Sehun._

What was Lisa doing with Sehun when she was supposed to be with Bam and Rosé? She wanted to march out and ask the blonde outright. She had been at Disneyland, being chased by fans, while she spent the rest of her day with Sehun.

_Really, with Sehun? What is it with Sehun?_

She was jolted from her thoughts as she saw Sehun's car sped away and Lisa walking into the house. Jennie sprinted back to the living room and lay down the couch, pretending to be asleep.

When the lights were switched on, Jennie pretended to stir, an exaggerated yawn escaped her lips. She made sure to make a lot of movement on the couch as she stretched, as if she had just been woken up. Sure enough, Lisa turned her head at her direction, and as their eyes met, the brunette made sure to look surprised.

"Did you just get in?" Jennie glanced at her watch and her eyes immediately went back to meet Lisa's, not giving the blonde a chance to answer. "Do you realize what time it is? A wife shouldn't be home so late! You didn't even call!" She got up from the couch and walked towards the direction of her wife.

Lisa just huffed and headed to the kitchen, picked up a glass and opened the fridge to get water.

"Why are you picking a fight? I told you I'd be late." Lisa responded, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Can you blame me? I got hungry waiting for you." Jennie crossed her arms. She stood behind the blonde, watching as Lisa took a sip from her glass of water.

"What's wrong with you? Why didn't you eat? I thought you were eating out."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, for one, you always complain about my cooking."

"Just make me something, okay?"

"Fine. But I'm going to change first." Lisa proceeded to go upstairs, but before she could reach the staircase, something caught her eye; some weird furry thing on their coffee table. Curious, the blonde approached the coffee table and as she got nearer, what she discovered caught her by surprise.

The furry thing was a mask; a mask that could have come from only one place.

Disneyland.

Lisa could not help it when her lips formed into a smile. Jennie went to Disneyland today.

The actress was taking a sip of water from the glass that Lisa used a while ago when she felt the gentle tap on her right shoulder. When she turned to face the blonde, she almost spits the water out.

Lisa was wearing the mask she used as disguise at Disneyland that afternoon. She couldn't see the blonde's pink lips, but she could tell she was grinning, judging by the way her brown eyes shone.

"Did you go to Disneyland today?", came the muffled voice.

"No." Jennie took a step back and tried to get away from Lisa. Her cheeks were burning and she didn't want to be caught blushing.

"You're really going to lie to my face?" The blonde writer followed the brunette to the living room, taking off the mask as Jennie slumped on the couch.

"No. Why would I?" Jennie crossed her arms, avoiding the amused look Lisa was giving her.

For a short moment, Lisa stood watching her wife's obvious discomfort on the subject.

"Were you there looking for me?"

"Who, me? You think I'm nuts? I was just so bored and it's been a long time since I've been there. Don't get the wrong idea." Jennie rolled her eyes, wishing the blonde would just leave it. Of course she went to Disneyland because of her. It would have been easier and less complicated if she just admitted it, but she couldn't seem to do just that. What would Lisa think if she knew that she risked being chased by crazed fans just to spend her day with her?

_Not that it meant anything._

"Did you wait long?" Lisa smiled knowingly.

"I wasn't waiting for you. Shut up." Jennie replied defensively. She felt her face burning at the tenderness of the blonde's voice. She wasn't used to that tone.

"I didn't go there today." It sounded like an apology.

There was a sudden flash of annoyance on Jennie's face, but it was immediately replaced by an unconcerned one.

"You didn't?" Jennie may be a good actress, but she failed to hide the trace of disappointment in her tone.

"I'm really sorry for making you wait."

"I didn't wait. I didn't!" Jennie insisted, sounding more frustrated everytime she denied it.

"Uh-huh, yeah. Sure." The blonde teased, laughing out loud seeing how Jennie looked sulking like a petulant little child. "How long did you wait?"

"I said I didn't wait." The brunette growled. "Why are you smiling like that? Don't do that."

Lisa just stood there, smiling at Jennie, like she just gave her the best gift in the world. Well, it felt like that. They had a sort of love-hate relationship and she wasn't really expecting anything from Jennie. She didn't even expect her to know about her birthday. The fact that the brunette had to remind her of her own birthday was more than enough surprise. And to find out that her world-famous wife went to a place such as an amusement park (where she was supposed to be) on her birthday was a gift no one could ever match.

She was happy. And Lisa wasn't even hiding it. Her only regret was that she took that call from Sehun, although she wasn't blaming him. It would have been more fun spending the day with Jennie, though.

"Stop staring at me. And how many times do I have to say it? I. Didn't. Wait. Stop pestering me." Jennie whined, feeling those pair of beautiful brown eyes still locked at her. She was way beyond embarrassed.

The brunette literally jumped from her seat when she felt the warm pair of lips making contact with her right cheek. How the hell did Lisa even get to her side that fast and without her noticing it? Sure she was busy looking everywhere else but the blonde, but she would have felt it.

And what the hell was that kiss for?

"Thank you for today." Lisa whispered in Jennie's right ear.

"Whu-?" The actress was barely able to form a sentence after feeling the blonde breathe on her ear. If she was blushing before, she was more than blushing now. Was there even an exact term for that?

"And I'm keeping the mask." Lisa pulled back. But before she climbed upstairs to change clothes, she turned her head back, throwing Jennie a cute wink.

Jennie stared speechless.

When Lisa woke up the next morning, she found the box wrapped with shiny wrapping paper on top of their dining table. It had a ribbon tied in a bow. Curiously, Lisa approached and looked over the small card attached to it. She read the message scribbled in Jennie's childish handwriting.

_Wifey,_

_Be a person who touches people's hearts. Happy Birthday, Lili. You owe me dinner, by the way. See you tonight._

_;-)_

Lisa couldn't contain the big smile on her face. She was yet to open the gift, but what's inside was a recorder especially for writers. She picked up the card and fondly traced Jennie's handwriting with her right hand. When she turned the card around, she found a short instruction and the address of Il Cielo at Beverly Hills.

Looked like she already had plans tonight.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Hey, is Jisoo here?" Jennie asked her friend's assistant as she walked into the designer's shop that afternoon. Normally, it was Jisoo who greets her by the door, but she was surprised to see her assistant Hoseok. The designer was supposed to meet her today for a fitting. She was having a press conference for Batgirl which was going to be in a week and Jisoo had again, volunteered to dress her up.

"Hi, Jennie. She didn't come in today. But she called earlier and asked me to help you with anything that you'd need." Hoseok led the actress further into the shop, but Jennie stopped midway, wondering where Jisoo was.

"Where is she?"

"She's not feeling well so, she decided to stay at home for now."

"What?" Jennie was alarmed. The designer lived alone. Whenever she was sick, she usually called Jennie to stay over and keep her company, so she was surprised that Jisoo did not even bother calling this time. "Is she okay?"

"Oh, I think she's fine. That boss of mine has to take a lot of rest though. Yesterday had been very stressful. So, do you want to see Jisoo's choices for you now, or-"

"I'll just come back tomorrow, okay? I've got to see Jisoo."

"Okay."

"Thanks, Hoseok." Jennie smiled at him before rushing outside, and speeding away in her Range Rover.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jisoo's eyes fluttered open. She was still half-asleep, barely conscious. Despite her long hours of sleep, she still felt tired, and was craving for more sleep. Hereyes settled on the open window, realizing that it was night time already. Then she remembered she did not even open them.

Now fully awake, the designer shot out of bed, and strained her ears to listen to any kind of movement in the house. She heard footsteps coming nearer. Jisoo could feel her heart rate doubling in fear, assuming that an intruder had gotten in. Before she could jump out of bed and find a place to hide, the door opened.

Her screams were caught up in her throat before they even came out.

It was kind of anti-climactic when she saw the short brunette standing by her now opened bedroom door, holding a plate of food on one hand a glass of water on the other.

"Jennie?"

"Hey, I was supposed to wake you." Jennie walked into the room, closing the door behind her. She placed the glass on Jisoo's night stand before sitting on the bed beside Jisoo. "It's dinner time." Jennie gestured to the plate of food on her hand.

"How did you get in?" The designer looked curiously at her.

"Easy. I told your doorman that you're very sick and couldn't get up from bed and that you called me for help."

"I'm not dying." Jisoo rolled her eyes.

"That's not what I said."Jennie just smiled. Her friend had the tendency to be cranky when she's sick. "Now eat."

"I'm not hungry. Charlie actually believed you?" Jisoo narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Jennie. Charlie, their doorman, wasn't that easy to convince.

"I might have used a bit of my charms."

"Charms? You don't have charms." Jisoo joked.

"I winked at him and it didn't take a lot for him to give me your spare key." Jennie playfully punched her on the shoulder before urging Jisoo to take the plate of food. The older Korean just shook her head. "You've got to eat some time."

"Maybe later." The designer reached for the glass of water that Jennie brought in and drank almost half of it.

"Did you take any medicines?"

"I just need rest."

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I'm fine, Jennie. I can take care of myself."

"You still should have called me, like you used to. We said we'd always be there for each other. Bestfriends forever, remember?"

"Of course. Bestfriends forever." Jisoo smiled at Jennie, her eyes reassuring. "But things are different now. I can't just ask you to stay over when you have a wife waiting for you at home. You're married now, Jennie."

"Oh my god. Lisa!" Jennie jumped to her feet as she was reminded of where she was supposed to be, almost dropping the plate of food on Jisoo's bed. The brunette carefully took the plate from Jennie's hands.

"Yes, Lisa. She's really wonderful, and I don't want to get into her bad side, so, why don't you-"

"I have to go."

"That's what I was going to say."

"I'm supposed to meet her at Il Cielo, like…" Jennie glanced at her watch, eyes wide in realization. "… an hour ago! Fuck!"

"What? Well what the hell are you doing? Get out of here now. You're an idiot. How could you forget?" Jisoo, with all the strength she had, tried to reach out to Jennie to give her a push.

"Well, I'm sorry if I was so worried about you." The brunette rolled her eyes as she headed to get her coat from the chair in front of Jisoo's vanity table.

"This isn't my fault. If she hates me for this, I'll hate you." Jisoo warned.

"You're not very eloquent when you're sick."

"I'm going to get you back for that as soon as I'm feeling better." Jisoo playfully replied.

"I'll check on you tomorrow, baby girl." Jennie chuckled, not really taking Jisoo's threats seriously.

"Stop worrying about me. What you should worry about is where you'd be sleeping tonight."

"Bye, Chu!" Jennie gave her best friend a quick hug before running out of Jisoo's Brentwood Park unit to see her wife.

Il Cielo was still packed but Jennie's reserved table was already empty when she arrived. She was too late. The waiter confirmed that the blonde was present a while ago and he did, in fact, served her a glass of wine. She looked somber, the waiter said, and kept checking her watch.

Jennie felt bad for making Lisa wait. She tried to call her wife, but the writer was purposely not answering her calls so she just left her a voicemail, explaining. The blonde did not return her call. Feeling defeated, Jennie sat on the chair Lisa was previously occupying, and called the waiter to order the same wine that Lisa ordered.

At home, Lisa was sitting on her bed, staring at the glittering bands of gold on her left ring finger. Her wedding ring was beautiful. It had four diamonds in it, and had an inscription of Jennie's name on the underside of it. She had never taken it out of her finger since she had gotten married. The other ring on top of it was simpler, slimmer, and had a single piece of diamond in it.

It was Jisoo's engagement ring. The ring that started it all. It never belonged to her. And after hearing Jennie's voice mail, telling her how she had forgotten about their dinner date, she couldn't help but feel out of place.

So, Lisa took the engagement ring off.

The ring that will never be hers.

After staring at the engagement ring one last time, she pulled the drawer in her nightstand and placed the ring underneath everything that was in there.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Like their usual mornings, Lisa and Jennie were brushing their teeth at the same time in the master bathroom upstairs. But unlike their usual mornings, Lisa was quiet and Jennie knew the reason why.

Brown eyes drifted at the blonde's reflection on the mirror, but it seemed that Lisa was intent on not acknowledging her at all.

"Are you really giving me the silent treatment?"

Jennie got exactly that answer. She rinsed one last time, recapped her toothbrush and placed it back where it belonged before turning to face Lisa.

"Look, I'm sorry about last night. I totally lost track of time. And Jisoo was really ill. I couldn't just leave her."

"You should have stayed with her then." Lisa still wasn't bothering to look at the brunette. She leaned down and spit before rinsing.

"Wait, are you jealous?" Jennie attempted to lighten up the situation, but it seemed to just infuriate the blonde even more.

"Please."

"Did you wait long?"

"Why would I wait? I'm not an idiot." Lisa then recapped her own toothbrush after washing it, mimicking Jennie's actions.

Idiot was how Lisa felt like last night. She looked like a fool waiting for Jennie at the restaurant. The brunette didn't even have the decency to cancel. Who wouldn't be upset by that?

Lisa wanted to just walk away and avoid a confrontation but she wasn't able to stop herself. She was still enraged for being stood up and the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Why drag someone out only to make them wait for you?"

Jennie jumped at the obvious anger in the blonde's voice. She had never seen or made Lisa this angry before.

"I thought you didn't wait." Jennie answered as soon as she recovered from shock.

"I left, but I'm still upset! What do you take me for?" The blonde poked Jennie on her chest, and the actress was fast on swatting the hand away.

"You're annoying me again."

"Oh, I'm annoying you?"

"Promises are made to be broken, okay? Things happened. It's nothing to scream about." Jennie walked out of the master bathroom.

As Lisa followed, she noticed something missing from Jennie's swinging hands.

Their wedding ring.

"Let me see your hand." Lisa grabbed Jennie's left hand before she could answer.

"Why?" Jennie stopped walking, a curious look plastered on her face.

"You're not wearing your ring. You're married. You can't go around without your wedding ring. It wouldn't be fair if I'm the only one wearing it. Your grandma scolded me when I wasn't wearing mine."

Jennie just rolled her eyes.

"What did you do with the ring?"

"I might have left it at Jisoo's." Jennie tugged her arm free and continued walking downstairs to the living room. She took it off before she started cooking for Jisoo last night. The brunette was so afraid of denting it, scratching it or losing the diamonds to the drain. Lisa didn't know but Jennie took the ring off everytime she did the dishes (which is very rare), or when she took a shower.

The actress settled on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on.

"Ask her then."

"What?"

"Call her now." Lisa snatched Jennie’s iPhone on top of the coffee table and threw it at the brunette's direction. Jennie barely caught it.

"I don't want to disturb her. She's probably still not feeling well." Jennie looked at her wife, incredulous at the suggestion.

"She'll understand."

Realizing that Lisa wouldn't leave her alone until she called Jisoo, the brunette picked up the phone and reluctantly dialed the designer's number. To her surprise, a bubbly voice answered.

" _Jendeuk! It's barely 7 in the morning. To what do I owe the honor?"_ The designer joked. She had always been an early riser, unlike Jennie, who was never a morning person. She was actually surprised that the brunette was already awake.

"Are you feeling better? You sound better than last night."

" _I'm good, yeah."_

"Have you had breakfast? You should rest."

Lisa had been eavesdropping and had to roll her eyes.

" _I'm fine, Jennie. Don't worry about me. How's Lisa? I hope she didn't get mad at me for keeping you so late. I'm blaming you."_ Jisoo joked.

"Uhm, she's fine. Have you seen my wedding ring? I left it at your house."

" _Your ring? Who's stupid enough to take their wedding ring off?"_

"Me, obviously. Can you look for it, please? I might have left it near the sink, or the bathroom. I'm not too sure. I wrapped it in a tissue."

" _Okay. Hang on."_

Jennie could hear the sound of footsteps and after a short minute, she heard the rustling and Jisoo was back on the line.

" _I'm sorry, Jen. I couldn't see it. I tried the bathroom but it wasn't there either. Are you sure you left it here?"_

"Yeah."

" _Maybe it fell off somewhere? I'll look for it, I promise."_

"Well, if you ever find it, let me know soon, okay?"

" _I can't believe you lost your ring. You're going to get in trouble."_

"Already _in_ trouble." Jennie replied, weary of the eyes that were burning a hole on her forehead.

" _Good luck with the wifey."_

"Funny."

" _Bye, Jennie."_

"Bye." As she hung up, Jennie found Lisa's probing brown eyes on her. "Stop looking at me like that. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?"

"It's just a ring."

"It's not just a ring. It's our wedding ring." Lisa stared at Jennie in disbelief.

"I can buy another ring." The brunette said, silently wishing Lisa would just stop talking because she wasn't a morning person and the early chatter was giving her a headache.

"You can't buy another ring. That ring is a promise you made with me. You can't just replace it."

"Promise? What promise did we make? You signed a contract and married me. Are we really married? Why are you overacting?" Irked, Jennie got up from the couch and was about to climb up the stairs when Lisa spoke again.

"So that's what I am to you, just your pretend wife who cooks and cleans the house for you?"

"I don't know, may be. How about you, do you even like me?"

"What?"

"What is this, Lisa? Please do tell because I thought we were very clear about this whole set-up from the very beginning. You were the one who made it clear that this was just a business arrangement. You insisted a contract!" Jennie yelled in exasperation. She immediately regretted shouting as soon as her eyes met Lisa's.

"You know what? You're a jerk." With one last look, Lisa walked past Jennie and locked herself in her bedroom.

Jennie could only sigh.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Aren't you going home?"

Lisa stopped dancing after hearing Chaeyoung's voice over the music. It was already dark outside and there were no other people left in the studio except her, Chae and Bam. All the students had gone an hour ago.

Chaeyoung was surprised to see her friend still there after she freshened up. Usually, Lisa would be out right after her last class. That had been two hours ago. The blonde didn't even need to speak. Chaeyoung knew something was wrong. She could tell it through her dancing.

"Why are you still here?" Chaeyoung asked.

"Can I lock up? I want to stay here longer." Lisa avoided the question.

Chaeyoung sat on a bench and motioned for Lisa to come near and sit beside her. Reluctantly, Lisa did.

"Lover's tiff?"

"What?"

"Did you have a fight with Jennie?"

"How did you know?" Lisa was surprised.

"I'm psychic."

"No, you're not."

"Lis, I've known you since we were five. I can sense the problem even if you're a mile away."

"Wanna test that theory?"

"Stop changing the topic and just talk to me." Chaeyoung poked Lisa on her side.

"We're just… I don't know."

"What happened?"

Lisa sat silently for a moment, contemplating whether to share what happened with Chaeyoung or not. She decided to share.

"Last night, we were supposed to have a late birthday dinner at Il Cielo. I waited an hour and she didn't come… well, she did come, I think, but I was already gone and I found out that the reason why she was late was because she was taking care of a sick Jisoo."

"Jisoo? The designer? That's her bestfriend, right?" Chae recalled meeting the Korean designer briefly at the wedding. She had read about her in a few magazines before, often associated with Jennie and their other famous friends, Broadway actress Nayeon Im and NFL star Junmyon Kim.

Lisa just shrugged.

"Wait, are you jealous of her bestfriend?" Chaeyoung's eyes widened at Lisa.

"What? No!"

"I didn't know you're the jealous type until now."

"I'm not jealous! I… I waited for her and I looked like fool sitting in that restaurant alone. Jennie didn't even call."

"Did she explain why?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Oh, you are _so_ jealous."

"I am not."

"How couldn’t you be, though? Those two and their merry-band of famous friends are known to be really close. I mean, come on. I'm your bestfriend. If Bam isn't here to take care of me and I'm like dying or something, wouldn't you blow dinner with her and come to my aid instead?"

"That's a silly question. You know my answer to that."

"Exactly. So why are you being like this?"

"She lost her wedding ring."

"She did?"

"And she thought she could just buy a new one and replace it."

"That's why you're mad?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"This isn't about me, Lisa."

"Why do I feel like you're siding with her? You're my friend."

"I'm not taking any sides here. But as an outsider, I think I'm the rational thinker here. Clearly, you're being sentimental, and Jennie is, well, the opposite. Lisa, does the ring really matter that much? Everybody knows you're married. The world can see how in love you two are."

"Really?"

That was a huge surprise. They had been playing it up for the cameras everytime the two of them went out together, but Lisa didn't realize how good their acting had been for the world to actually believe they were in love.

"She married you. You're the one who tied down Hollywood's notorious playgirl. Come on, how many people could say that? You're like a legend. A ring is a just a ring. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have one on my finger one day, but with you and Jennie? I think it's a ridiculous thing to fight about."

"Point taken." For the first time that day, there was a genuine smile on Lisa's face.

"Now go home, find Jennie, and talk to her. Maybe you'd be a little bit more forgiving after your hot make-up sex later." Chaeyoung tried to push the blonde off the bench, but Lisa was fast to get away.

"Shut up, Rosie."

"Are you blushing?"

"I'm leaving now!"

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

The house was empty when Lisa arrived. She didn't have the appetite to eat dinner alone so, she just took her laptop out, her sticky notes, her note pad, and her other writing materials. She couldn't really write, though.

Later, she heard the door and Jennie's footsteps approaching. Lisa pretended to be busy writing when Jennie rounded the dining area. The blonde kept her eyes on her laptop.

"Hi." Jennie broke the silence and took the chair next to Lisa.

"Don't distract me."

"If I find it, I'll never lose it again."

Lisa turned her head to face Jennie. The brunette's features were softer than they usually were. She spoke sincerely and her eyes reflected the honesty in those words.

"I promise."

"Give me your left hand."

Although confused as to why, Jennie extended her left hand. Lisa took it and picked up a sharpie from the table, uncapped it, and started drawing on Jennie's ring finger.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't move." Lisa tightened her hold on Jennie’s hand, and as requested, the actress stopped struggling.

Jennie smiled at what seemed like a diamond-studded ring that her wife drew on her ring finger. She didn't stop there, though. Lisa also drew a watch on Jennie's wrist. Jennie did not exert any effort to stop her.

"Ha. Done." Lisa displayed a triumphant smile.

Jennie pulled her hand closer and inspected it. She grinned.

"Not bad. I'll draw you one too." Jennie snatched the sharpie from Lisa's hand and pulled the blonde's hand.

"Just the watch. Unlike some people here, I'm a bit more careful with my ring." Lisa joked.

"I'll find it, Lili." That was the most earnest Jennie had sounded.

Lisa smiled at her.

"I thought you were going to draw me a watch?"

"Right. On with it!" Jennie started drawing lines and circles, feeling lighter now that they had made up.

"What's that? It's ugly. I'll draw you sunglasses." Lisa tried to get the sharpie back from Jennie but her wife stepped back away from her.

"No."

"Oh, yes." Lisa's eyes shone with mischief. When Jennie bolted, she ran after her.

Thirty minutes and a sharpie later, Jennie and Lisa sat by the edge of the pool; faces with hideously drawn sunglasses, arms with fake tattoos. They had been laughing at how silly each other looked. Thank god the sharpie was water-based.

They had been sitting in comfortable silence when finally, Lisa spoke what was on her mind.

"Our marriage is a marriage too. We fight everyday and you get into my nerves most of the time. But let's do our best until the time that we have to part, okay?"

"Okay."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"I thought you said no more tattoos, bee!" Taehyung yelled, startling Jennie. He couldn't believe it. It was hard enough to hide her other tattoos because they were so many and now, she just had to add another one. The make-up artists are so gonna hate them.

The actress was sitting on her friend's chair inside his office when he walked in and caught her looking at the ring Lisa drew last night. She did everything to avoid getting it wet.

Apparently, Taehyung thought it was the real deal.

Taehyung grabbed Jennie's left hand to inspect it. What he saw made him frown. Before he could look closer, the brunette had already jerked her hand away.

"Where did you get that? That looks gruesome." He grimaced. The 'tattoo' looked like it had been made by a drunk three-year old.

"First of all, this isn't a tattoo. Lili drew it for me."

"Hmm, she must be really bored with you. I'm gonna have to meet with her and convince her not to file for divorce soon." Taehyung teased.

"What? No one's filing for divorce. We're fine. I just… I lost my wedding ring."

"Who the fuck loses their wedding?"

"Apparently, me! It's my fault and my wife knows how sorry I am so please stop giving me crap about it."

"Nice replacement though."

"Thanks. I'll let her know."

"You two are adorable."

Jennie felt her cheeks burning at that.

"I'm going home." The brunette vacated Taehyung's chair and headed to the door.

"Don't you want to stay for lunch?"

"Nope."

"There must be something good waiting at home, huh?"

Jennie just smiled.

When she arrived home, Lisa wasn't there.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Earlier that morning, Lisa was picked up again by the Kim family driver. At least Eunseo called beforehand and she wasn't as scared as the last time to see Jennie's family. Grandma Kim invited her for a 'ladies' day out' and who could say no, especially when your wife's grandmother wasn't taking no for an answer.

So here they were, at an art gallery in Valencia, looking at paintings of artists that Lisa hadn't even read about.

She wasn't really into that kind of art.

"Why haven't you visited? Are you and Jennie too busy to find time and see us?" Jennie's grandmother scolded Lisa.

"I'm sorry, Grandma. Jennie just signed to do a new movie and she had been caught up with her pre-production meetings. I've been teaching more dance classes recently and I've been writing as well." Lisa tried to reason, but Eunseo just shook her head in disappointment.

"Is that more important than spending time with family?" Eunseo was clearly upset for not having enough time with her grandchild and granddaughter-in-law.

"No, of course not." Lisa saw the comforting smile on Jia's face so she continued. "Grandma, I'll make sure Jennie would come visit with me soon, okay?"

Eunseo shrugged in response. Jia and Lisa exchanged amused looks.

"Eunseo! I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?" A short, Korean woman approached and gave Eunseo a hug. Upon seeing Jia, she hugged her as well.

"Hello, Mijeong. I'm good. I thought you were in New York." Eunseo smiled at the woman.

"I was, but it wasn't for me. You know me, this gallery is my life." Mijeong's eyes flickered towards Lisa, who was standing awkwardly beside Jia. Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, she must be Lisa."

At first, Lisa was surprised that the woman knew her name, but then she remembered that her wedding wasn't that private. That wasn't really possible if you were going to marry one of the most famous Hollywood players at the moment.

"Ah, yes, this is Lisa, my granddaughter-in-law." Eunseo said proudly.

"Lisa, meet Mrs. Mijeong Park. You must have met her son at your wedding." Jia introduced them.

"You're Jimin's mom? It's so nice to meet you." Lisa reached to shake the woman's hand but instead, she pulled her in a hug.

"Jimin told me that Jennie was getting married and he was singing to them on their wedding. Lisa, you look even more beautiful in person."

"Thank you."

"You must be really proud, Eunseo."

"Yes, I am."

Lisa smiled. She was more than flattered. She felt like she really belonged with them.

With the Kims.

Jennie had been anxiously waiting with her phone by her side. She was fighting the urge to call the blonde who still wasn't home. It was getting late and she had no idea where the blonde was. Hopefully, she wasn't with Sehun.

Brown eyes drifted to their huge wedding picture that had been delivered that afternoon. She was yet to find a place to hang it downstairs so she had it brought to her bedroom, the frame now resting safely against her wall.

It was beautiful.

Finally giving in, Jennie picked up her phone and dialed Lisa's number, impatiently waiting for her to answer.

" _Hey."_

"Do you know what time it is? Where are you now?"

" _Why are you yelling? I'm in your room."_

"What are you talking about?" Jennie looked around, finding no one. She headed to her walk-in closet but still, Lisa wasn't there.

Realization hit her again.

"You're in Valencia?"

" _Who would have thought you were an honor student?"_ Lisa was looking at the medals lined up on one side of Jennie’s room. She felt a surge of pride.

"I'm smart. Deal with it." A smiled formed on Jennie's lips. She could picture Lisa walking in her childhood bedroom, touching her things.

" _Aww. You looked so cute in this picture."_ Lisa cooed. A giggled escaped her lips.

"What picture?" Jennie asked in alarm, remembering that one of the framed photos of her in her room included that one where she was naked in the bathtub.

" _The naked one."_ Lisa grinned.

"Hey, stop perving!"

" _Eww. You were a baby. There's nothing to perve about."_

"Then I want to see your naked baby pictures!"

" _No way."_

"It's only fair."

" _Fine. I'll stop looking."_ Lisa replied, her eyes still shining with mischief. "Hold on a sec." The blonde put the call on hold and took a photo of Jennie's baby pic.

"What were you doing?" Jennie sounded suspicious.

" _Nothing."_

"You're still staring, aren't you?"

" _Can't help it."_

"Lili!" Jennie whined.

" _Oh, you have paper cranes. They're cute. Did you make them?"_ There was a fish bowl full of them.

"It's from Jisoo. She made them for me."

Lisa's eyes stopped at another framed photo of two little children on top of the study table. She immediately recognized the other as Jennie (that dimple gave her away) and after inspecting the picture, Lisa concluded the other girl was definitely Jisoo. They were locked in an embrace, as if they didn't want to let go.

"When we were little, everytime I get sad, Jisoo would make a paper crane for me. Those are all the paper cranes she made me."

" _You must have been very sad a lot."_ There was an obvious strain in Lisa's voice. She reached for the framed photo and turned it away from her, losing all interest to see the rest of the room.

"Chu was the one who had always been there for me. And I had been there for her as well. Everytime she cried, I bought her ice cream, so she would stop." Jennie smiled fondly at the memories. It didn't take long for her to notice that Lisa had stayed silent. "Lili? Why aren't you saying anything?"

" _What am I supposed to say?"_ She didn't mean to sound harsh, but the blonde's mood had shifted and she just wanted to get off the phone.

"Do you want me to pick you up now?" Jennie asked, sounding hopeful. The house was quiet without Lisa and regardless of how far Valencia was, she would drive anytime just to pick her wife up.

" _Why would I want that?"_

As Jennie scrambled her mind to find a reason, the only one she could come up with was because she wanted her there. But of course she wasn't going to say that. Lisa might misinterpret and the last thing Jennie wanted was to complicate this, whatever it was that they had.

"Well, what about my breakfast tomorrow? Who's going to make it if you're over there?"

Yes, Jennie, be your douche self, that _would_ work.

" _Stop talking about food. Is that all you'd ever talk about with me? Forget it, I'm hanging up now."_

"Wait, Li-"

Jennie sighed. Well, she was probably better off alone anyway.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It had been hours since Lisa hung up but it seemed like she wasn't going to get some sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, sleep eluded her and when she opened them again, it would lock on the fishbowl full of paper cranes.

When the blonde finally made it to dreamland, it didn't take long for it to turn into a nightmare.

A nightmare that involved a monster made of paper cranes, chasing her.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: lisa’s dance practice, meeting with an ex, grandma pays an unexpected visit to the manoban-kim household...


	7. THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC

Jennie always thought it was creepy to stare at someone when they were sleeping.

If she woke up to someone staring at her, she'd probably freak out. But that early morning, when she walked into her childhood bedroom in Valencia with a tray of breakfast in her hands, she found herself unable to pry her eyes away from the sleeping form on her bed.

A smile played on her lips.

The brunette took cautious steps towards the bed, making sure not to make so much noise so as not to startle the blonde. The bed dipped as she sat on the edge, carefully setting the tray on her lap and supporting it with her left hand.

Lisa was on her side, her lips slightly parted and her blonde hair dangled messily, covering most of her features. She looked so cute with her arms tightly wrapped around Jennie's favorite stuffed animal, a Koala bear, that she wasn't able to stop herself from reaching out and pushing the stray hair off of Lisa's face. The pads of her fingers lingered behind the writer's left ear, causing her to stir in her sleep.

Immediately, Jennie pulled her hand back. She felt the warm feeling spreading on her cheeks after realizing what she had just done. Fortunately, no one was there to witness it.

"Lili…" Jennie whispered, unsure whether it was too early to rouse her wife from sleep. She looked so peaceful.

The blonde didn't move, but murmured something incoherent, eliciting a giggle from Jennie. It would have been fun to just stay there and watch Lisa until she wakes up; the funny facial expressions she made when she was asleep were very amusing, but Jennie didn't want to give her parents and her grandmother ideas as to why she stayed locked in the bedroom with Lisa longer than they should.

It was embarrassing enough to find out that her grandma was convinced they were going at it like bunnies. Nope, Grandma Kim didn't even bother to filter those thoughts. She demanded for her great-grandchild/grandchildren, preferably twins, as soon as possible. The Kim matriarch was already suggesting possible baby names that Jennie had to storm out of the dining room, her face red as hell as her parents laughed at the interaction. She missed grandma dearly, but she could only take so much. So, to avoid more awkward situations, she decided to escape into her bedroom with Lisa's breakfast.

"Wifey, wake up." The actress gently shook Lisa's shoulder.

Lisa groaned, cuddling tighter into the stuff toy. A few seconds passed before brown eyes fluttered open, finding a another pair of browns staring back at her. Still half-asleep, her gaze remained fixed at the brown pair, and watched silently.

"Hi."

Jennie's voice was barely audible, not that Lisa was listening. She was still trapped in-between reality and dreamland.

"I got you breakfast in bed." Jennie gestured at the tray on her lap. The blonde, on the other hand, hardly noticed the delicious smell of waffles in the air.

"You're here." Lisa stated gruffly.

The brunette didn't know why, but she found the blonde's morning voice totally sexy. She shook the thoughts right away though, blaming grandma for instilling those impure ideas in her head.

"No, I'm not. You're just dreaming." She joked.

"But you're not made of paper cranes." A look of confusion flashed in the blonde's face.

"What?" Jennie chuckled. "Come on, before it gets cold." She urged Lisa to get up, touching her arm.

The contact caused Lisa to shot out of bed. She sat gaping at Jennie, who was looking back at her, befuddled at her reaction. Now fully awake and after realizing that she wasn't dreaming, the blonde felt suddenly embarrassed.

"You're really here." Lisa glanced at the digital clock placed on the bedside table and was surprised to find that it was barely 6 a.m. It was way earlier than Jennie's wake up time, which meant that the brunette drove up to Valencia before the sun was even up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up." Jennie set the tray in front of Lisa. She took her flat shoes off and got on the bed, making herself comfortable as she sat cross-legged opposite the blonde. When she looked up, she found curious eyes staring at her.

"Why?"

Jennie sensed the blonde's sudden aloofness. She could only ascribe it to their conversation that ended weirdly last night, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for Lisa's distant attitude.

"How are you supposed to get home?" The brunette handed Lisa the knife and fork. It wasn't like there was no means for the blonde. She could have easily gotten home with the BMW chauffeured by the family driver. But when she woke up early that morning, Jennie just found herself driving to Valencia.

And it had nothing to do with missing her family.

Lisa did not verbalize her response. She just shrugged and started on her waffles.

Jennie picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip, watching the blonde through the lid. The writer was keeping quiet and it was odd.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

That was a lie.

"Why are you so quiet?" The brunette sounded worried, trying to recall what happened in their last phone conversation. It had been generally pleasant, though the change of mood on the blonde's part had been noticeable. She couldn't remember what she said wrong, but whatever it was, she thought the blonde would just sleep on it.

"I'm eating."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"Last night, you sounded-"

"You didn't do anything wrong, Jennie." Lisa snapped in frustration, surprising Jennie with her outburst.

Lisa knew the exact reason for her foul mood. She wasn't irritated at Jennie; she was irritated at herself. As her eyes flickered briefly at the direction of the fishbowl filled with paper cranes, she was reminded of the confusing feelings that were causing chaos in her mind.

She didn't like those feelings at all.

She was perfectly aware of their set-up from the very beginning. It seemed simple. One year of marriage and then they'd get a divorce.

Then Jennie lost her wedding ring and Lisa flipped. The memory of their argument still surprised her. The things she told Jennie surprised her more.

Did it really matter to her what that ring stood for? Sure, they kicked ass with their wedding vows, but did she mean any part of it? Did Jennie? Why did she react like she did when Jennie acted like the ring was replaceable?

And then there's Jennie's bestfriend, Jisoo. The fashion designer had been in the brunette's life longer than she had. Of course, they cared about each other. They probably would, forever. Jisoo had been there for Jennie in all those bad times. Heck, she filled up a fishbowl of paper cranes to cheer her up. If Jennie wanted to spend time with her bestfriend, did she even have the right to prevent her?

She envied Jisoo for those times.

And Lisa didn't even understand why.

She was getting caught up with this whole marriage thing and Lisa had no one to blame but herself. Lisa knew she had to keep her distance, before she got in too deep and lost in the lie. It was just a business arrangement. It's important for her to remember that and not get carried away.

Lisa didn't realize she was being watched as she got lost deep in her thoughts.

Jennie worried about what was bothering her wife. Trying to lighten up the mood, she tried on small talk.

"Grandma wants twins."

Lisa didn't look up. But from where Jennie sat, she could see the blonde's eyebrows knit in confusion. The actress continued.

"She thinks she's not going to live long enough to meet the great grandchildren so she wants us to hurry up with the baby-making." Jennie laughed at the memory, looking slightly flustered as she did so. "It was embarrassing but of course, my parents thought it was funny. Grandma knows just how to embarrass me. You're so lucky you weren't there."

The blonde was still avoiding Jennie's eyes, but the brunette could see the corner of Lisa's lips, tugging up into a smile.

"She wants a boy and a girl. Not like we'd have a choice on the gender, but she's got names prepared already! Can you believe her? She wanted to name them Minho and Ella. Grandma wouldn't leave me alone until I agree, so I ran out of there as fast as I could." Jennie animatedly told the blonde, relieved to finally see the smile on her face.

"Those are cute names." Lisa tried to imagine how that conversation took place, and it was amusing.

"Yeah. I like the name Minho." Jennie stared at nothing in particular, images of a little brunette boy with brown eyes flashing in her mind, thinking that Minho would have been the elder twin and a protective brother to Ella. He'd love sports and would have learned football from his Uncle Jungkook.

The brunette just had to smile.

"I like Ella." Lisa was doing a little pondering of her own.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." The blonde was absentmindedly poking her waffles with her fork. She didn't really have the appetite to eat. But just like Jennie, she had her own images of a little brunette kid with brown cat-like eyes running through her head. The only difference was that the image of hers was that of a young girl. "I bet they'd be really cute."

"Of course. Have you seen us? We couldn't possibly make babies that aren't cute. That would be an anomaly." Jennie smirked, looking smug as she watched Lisa pull off the blanket covering her legs and climbed out of bed.

"Too bad we're never gonna have them." A rather sad smile formed in Lisa's lips.

Jennie opened her mouth, but no response came out. The images of the two brunette toddlers blurred as reality came back slapping her in the face.

There wasn't going to be an Minho.

There wasn't going to be an Ella.

Grandma's not going to have her twin great-grandchildren.

"Jennie?"

Her head snapped at the direction of the door where Lisa seemed to be waiting for her.

"We should head home now. Let's go say goodbye to your parents and grandmother."

"Okay." Jennie softly replied, her eyes following Lisa as she disappeared from her sight. As soon as the blonde was gone, she let out a deep sigh, a feeling of uneasiness settling at the pit of her

stomach.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"You two are so cute."

Chaeyoung's voice made Lisa look up. She was in her usual classroom at Bambam's dance studio and had just finished tying up the laces of her sneakers when her friend got her attention. She threw a brief look at her students who were scattered all over the room, enjoying their short break, before turning her curious eyes back to Chae.

"Are you talking to me?" Lisa pointed to herself.

"Of course I'm talking to you. Jennie took her iPhone out and showed a picture of that ring you drew on her finger and the audience melted. Everybody was like, 'aww, that's so adorable'!" Chaeyoung clapped her hands, looking giddy as she talked to Lisa.

The blonde just stared at her, more perplexed than ever.

"Last night, Jimmy Fallon?" Chaeyoung gave her a weird look.

During her guest appearance the previous night, as expected, Jimmy Fallon asked Jennie about her new status as a married woman. The lack of wedding ring did not go past the interviewer and Jennie told him an edited story of how it happened. She clarified that it wasn't lost, just missing.

Yes, there's a difference.

"Oh, right, her interview."

"You didn't watch it?"

"I fell asleep writing." She shrugged.

Lisa knew about Jennie's guest appearance at the Late Night Show. Jennie even asked her to come with her to New York but she made up an excuse to avoid having to go with her. The brunette did not force her but was obviously disappointed. She felt guilty for lying, but she had to. She didn't want to get too attached. Her involvement with Jennie's family was already complicating things for her. With the confusing feelings she'd been having lately, the last thing she needed was to get too close to Jennie as well.

_Keeping distance, remember?_

She steered clear from the television all night, purposely avoiding Jennie's episode with Jimmy Fallon. Lisa need not be repeatedly reminded of the lies she made up just to avoid being with Jennie.

"Seriously? You slept on your wife's most charming interview, ever? I didn't even know Jennie was capable of being a sap like that." While Chaeyoung wasn't a die-hard Jennie fan, she had seen enough interviews of the brunette to see the difference. Jennie seemed happier, funnier. When she made fun of how stupid she had been for taking off her wedding ring, she totally won the crowd. She seemed genuinely regretful.

Lisa's lips formed into an amused smile.

"A sap? Jennie?" The blonde looked at her friend in disbelief. Maybe she should have watched the interview, Lisa thought.

"You're not fighting again, are you?" Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"No. We're fine." Lisa got up from the chair she was sitting on and headed back to the dance floor, motioning to her students that they were going to start all over again.

Before they started, however, the blonde turned around towards Chaeyoung's direction again, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"She took a photo of the ring that I drew?" Lisa found it hard to hold back a smile.

"Yeah. You could have used a little help though." Chae joked.

"Shut up." Lisa laughed. She would have if she knew it was going to be shown on national TV.

"That girl is so in love with you." Chaeyoung grinned, shaking her head. She turned to leave the room; the comment leaving Lisa with flustered cheeks.

In an attempt to ignore and forget her friend's observation, Lisa focused her attention back to her class.

"Places!" Lisa called her students.

The first recognizable tune of the Pussycat Dolls' song, Buttons, blared through the speakers and Jennie could hear Snoop Dogg's muffled rapping as she got nearer the room where Chaeyoung pointed Lisa would be. She had just arrived from New York and was completely exhausted, but knowing that her wife was still stuck in dance class, she headed straight to Bambam's studio.

Just as Lisa turned around to get back into position in front of the class for their last set of practice, the door opened and someone in a Yankees cap and aviator shades entered. The guest didn't even have to take her disguise off for Lisa to know who it was.

Lisa sighed.

The actress took her cap and sunglasses off and when her eyes met Lisa's, Jennie smiled. It was that kind of smile that reached her eyes. She waved at Lisa and mouthed a 'hi', causing the blonde to smile.

_So much for keeping distance._

She almost jumped when somebody whispered too close to her ear.

"Oh my god, your wife is even hotter in person."

Lisa felt the warmth in her cheeks as one of her younger students, teenage cheerleader Ryujin, shamelessly stared at her wife over her shoulder.

"You wouldn't mind if I take a picture with her, right?" The hopeful teen nudged her dance teacher.

"Get back to position, Ryu." The blonde replied brusquely. The tone wasn't intended but she wasn't able to hide her displeasure at the unnecessary attention her wife was getting.

Lisa could hear the sudden whispering among her students as she walked towards her wife, who was now sitting comfortable on the long bench. They were fawning over her famous wife's unexpected appearance and she couldn't really blame them.

Jennie sizzled even in her tattered skin-tight jeans and plain white v-neck.

Stopping about three feet away, with the handle bar separating them, she crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at the brunette.

"You're causing a riot."

"I still got it." Jennie looked like a total dork as she fist-pumped into the air.

"You're a dork." Lisa snickered.

"A _hot_ dork." The brunette corrected her. She leaned closer then whispered, "And you're supposed to kiss this hot dork, babe."

"What-" A scowl was already plastered on her face, but before Lisa could snarl at Jennie, she saw her students through the mirror behind her wife, trying to be discreet as they spied on them. She fought the urge to roll her eyes; they weren't really that subtle.

She knew what Jennie meant. It was show time.

Lisa took a few steps closer to Jennie. She leaned over the handle bar, ignoring the pounding of her heart against her chest, bending down as Jennie met her halfway. Her lips captured Jennie's in a short, gentle, kiss. It ended too soon. Lisa immediately pulled away as soon as she felt Jennie's face move in an attempt to change their angle, presumably to deepen the kiss.

Jennie groaned in what seemed like a protest after the sudden lost of contact.

Lisa fought the urge to lean in again and ease the brunette's obvious frustration.

"Did you just get back?" The blonde spoke, averting an awkward silence that would have fallen between them after that kiss.

"Yeah."

"Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to pick you up."

"You're making a habit of picking me up without asking me."

"I'm being a good wife. I figured that since we're going to be married for a year, we might as well get along and enjoy our time together… in a rated PG kind of way." The brunette teased the blonde.

That got Lisa rolling her eyes.

"I'm not done with class."

"I'll wait."

"You'll get bored."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"No. I just don't want to hear you complain. You're the most impatient person I know."

"No complaints, I promise. Try not to embarrass yourself." Jennie continued with the teasing. She had been gone two days and while she would never admit it openly, she missed talking with Lisa.

"Yeah, well, try not to drool too much." Lisa teased back. Feeling a bit playful, she gave Jennie a cute wink, then twirled around and strutted her way back to the dance floor with her students. She could hear Jennie laughing at their lighthearted banter.

This was one of those rare times that they didn't annoy each other.

While Jennie knew that Lisa was a dancer, she hadn't really had the opportunity to witness how good she was. Sometimes, at home, she could hear the blonde practicing in her bedroom, but she was a bit embarrassed to ask if she could watch. Lisa would probably just take it as perving, and well, Jennie most definitely wasn't a pervert.

She had been curious. In the few conversations she had with Bambam and Chaeyoung, they couldn't help but gush about how great of a dancer her wife was.

Well, she was about to find out.

She should have come prepared. Though there was really nothing that could have prepared her for the amount of the sexy burlesque dancing her wife was about to perform.

"Okay guys, button it up. From the top!" Lisa yelled the instructions over the loud music. She signaled at the person manning the sound system and the song Buttons restarted again.

As Lisa and her students imitated that sexy catwalk by the Pussycat Dolls before getting into position, Jennie's interest perked up even more.

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)  
But you keep fronting (Uh)  
Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)  
But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)  
_

Lisa and her students (five of them) moved in sync as they raised their hands above their heads, swaying them in a circular motion down to their hips. Jennie's eyes zeroed in on the blonde as Lisa dipped her hips lower, opening her legs in that sexy PCD way before turning to the other direction. Lisa got back up, pointing forward before bending down again, her hands on her legs, then slowly pulling her upper body back up.

Brown eyes lifted up to meet Jennie’s eyes and locked with them.

_Typical  
Hardly the type I fall for  
I'm liking the physical  
Don't leave me asking for more  
I'm a sexy mama (Mama)_

Without realizing it, Jennie had been watching with her mouth hanging open. The song was barely halfway and there were more swaying and dipping of hips than she could count. Jennie's eyes followed Lisa's right hand as it trailed seductively on the top button of her shirt and as she continued with her dance moves, and when her long fingers started playing with her buttons, the brunette gulped in anticipation.

_Who knows just how to get what I want and (Want and)  
What I want to do is spring this on you (On you)  
Back up all of the things that I told you (Told you)_

_You been saying all the right things all along  
But I can't seem to get you over here to help take this off_

Jennie's mouth suddenly felt dry as Lisa started unbuttoning her shirt. As if on slow motion, one by one, buttons were popped free, revealing the light, sweaty skin underneath.

She unconsciously licked her lips as Lisa's eyes focused on her, scorching, making her clear her throat at the intensity of the stare.

_Baby, can't you see?  
How these clothes are fitting on me  
And the heat coming from this beat  
I'm about to blow  
I don't think you know_

She was too busy ogling at Lisa dancing to the beat to notice that the shirt the blonde had taken off was already flying towards her, smacking her right in the face. Jennie scrambled to pull the shirt off her, making sure not to miss more of her wife's dance routine.

It was a comical sight.

Jennie’s eyes bulged out and she almost toppled off her seat when Lisa and her group started cat-walking towards her, with the blonde in the middle. She didn't realize they were heading for the handle bars, until Lisa placed her hands on it. Slowly, she slid them on opposite directions as she leaned over, her face moving closer towards Jennie and pink lips mouthing the lyrics to the song.

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)  
But you keep fronting (Uh)  
Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)  
But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)  
_

Her efforts to keep her eyes at Lisa's face level were fruitless, it was useless to try. They kept drifting downwards, gawking at Lisa's tight abs, now glistening with sweat. It took every ounce of energy she had to keep her hands to herself.

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)  
But you keep fronting (Uh)  
Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)  
But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

Was it possible to make out with a handle bar? Because seriously, if Jennie was to describe what her wife was doing right now, that was it.

Then Lisa dropped to her knees before slowly, and teasingly, popping back up.

_You say you're a big boy  
But I can't agree  
'Cause the love you said you had  
Ain't been put on me  
I wonder  
If I'm just too much for you  
Wonder  
If my kiss don't make you just  
Wonder  
What I got next for you  
What you want to do? (Do)  
_

Jennie loudly cleared her throat for the second time. She grabbed her Yankees cap and started fanning herself, wondering why it felt hotter than usual. The beads of sweat were already forming on the side of her forehead and she could feel them.

She made a mental note to advise Bambam to have the AC system checked.

The brunette was relieved and was able to finally breathe as Lisa and her group turned and walked back to the dance floor. The relief did not last though, as each of them pulled a chair from the far end of the room.

Imagine Nicole Scherzinger in their Buttons video.

Now Lisa was making out with the chair. _Oh. God._

_Take a chance to recognize that this could be yours  
I can see, just like most guys that your game don't please  
Baby, can't you see?  
How these clothes are fitting on me  
And the heat coming from this beat  
I'm about to blow  
I don't think you know_

Jennie didn't realize how flustered she was as the lyrics of the song repeated in her head. Personally, she had seen one of the last Pussycat Dolls's concerts, but the dance had never been as sexy as this.

Maybe it was because Lisa wasn't there.

_I'm telling you loosen up my buttons baby (Uh huh)  
But you keep fronting (Uh)  
Saying what you going to do to me (Uh huh)  
But I ain't seen nothing (Uh)_

A few more chorus later, the song came to an end, and Lisa caught her wife's gaze. She grinned upon seeing Jennie still gaping at her. In mock courtesy, she curtsied, before dragging her feet towards the far right side of the room where her she left her things. She was tired as hell and couldn't wait to leave.

Jennie's face felt hot, and she was still fanning herself with her Yankees cap, forcing her eyes away from the blonde. She had done enough staring today to be considered creepy. That's when she noticed she wasn't alone.

There was someone on her left, a guy, sitting a few feet away, looking intently at someone on the dance floor. When Jennie followed his gaze to find out who he was gawking at, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

_What the fuck?_

Shameless guy was staring at her wife. What she didn't understand was when Lisa threw a smile at his direction. Jennie almost lost it. She marched to the guy, hands on her hips, eyes judging.

"Hey, eyes up here, pretty boy."

He gave her an appraising look. The blonde guy just smiled and shook his head at her.

"Jennie, right?"

"And who the fuck are you?"

The guy did not respond. He just turned his eyes back at Lisa. Her blood went straight to her brain when she noticed him blatantly staring at Lisa's ass, who was just then picking up her things from the floor, at one corner of the studio.

She snapped her fingers in front of his face. It took too much energy to not just punch him and break those awful big lips in two.

"Look you depraved little pervert, I'm giving you the chance here to turn your eyes away from my wife before I lose it and go all ape shit on your ass."

"She's hot."

"Damn right. And she's MY hot wife."

"You're lucky."

"So why don't you wipe that drool off your face and get that guppy face out of this-"

"What's going on here?" Lisa was now a few feet away, wearing a fresh pair of shirt and walking towards them with her bag strapped on her right shoulder, a questioning look on her face.

"Hey Lisa." Guppy face nodded at Lisa with his annoyingly goofy smile.

"Hi Baekhyun." Lisa smiled back at Baekhyun.

That interaction was more than enough to make Jennie's blood boil. She was seething. She wanted nothing but to pull her wife out of the studio and make sure they never ran into pretty boy again, but at the same time, she was intrigued.

"You know this perve?" Jennie pointed rudely at Baekhyun, but Lisa was fast to hold her pointing fingers down.

Lisa gives Jennie that 'be nice' look.

"He's not a perve. He's my, uh… friend."

Jennie gauged Lisa's reluctance to call this perve a 'friend', sensing that this guy was anything but a 'friend' to the blonde. She tried to catch her eyes, but Lisa kept looking down. Internally, she struggled with wanting and not wanting to know.

"He was staring at your boobs and your ass!" Jennie tried to justify.

"He wasn't the only one." Lisa grinned at her, looking smug as she lifted her gaze back up at the brunette.

Jennie blushed. She crossed her arms defensively.

"Totally not the point."

"So you were staring then. Did you enjoy the show?" Lisa playfully poked Jennie on the side of her hips, completely forgetting that they weren't alone.

Baekhyun sat watching in amusement.

"I have the right to do that. You're my wife!" Jennie swatted Lisa's poking hand and stepped a little further from the blonde.

Lisa let out an exaggerated sigh.

"I'm sorry Baekhyun. My wife's the jealous type."

"No I'm not!" Jennie grabbed Lisa's hand and stuggled to pull her as far away as possible from the smirking douche. She didn't like the way he was smiling at them.

_So condescending._

"Lili?" Jennie looked at Lisa, puzzled when she didn't move from where she stood. The blonde was suddenly quiet and the smile had disappeared from her lips, and Jennie didn't like where this was going.

"Uh, can I have a minute? I have to talk to him."

Jennie noticed Baekhyun's sudden discomfort. She was still clutching tightly onto Lisa's hand, and she wasn't that keen on letting go. Especially if it was him she was leaving Lisa with.

"What could you possibly talk about with this guy?" She snarled at the blonde.

"Please… babe?"

Jennie felt the flush on her cheeks as Lisa squeezed her hand in reassurance. The term of endearment was new from Lisa and that made it hard for her to say no.

"Fine. I have to go to the bathroom anyway." Jennie sent a warning look at pretty boy's direction before walking towards the door. Before she got further away, she turned again, glaring at Baekhyun. "And you, you better not get any closer or I'll…"

Lisa shot her an amused look.

"Just stay there and don't move." Jennie warned, before turning to Lisa. "Both of you."

Lisa's eyes remained glued on her wife as she watched Jennie exit the room. Baekhyun's voice snatched her attention back.

"Nice to see you again, Lisa."

"Yeah. It's been a long time… When did you get back?" Lisa chose to keep her distance, standing a few feet away from him.

"Just in time to hear that you had just gotten married to a Hollywood superstar." There was a bit of grief in his voice.

Lisa felt sorry for him. It had been years, she had moved on. All this time, she expected that he had done the same. That didn't seem like the case, though.

"How's married life treating you?" Baekhyun tried to break the awkward silence that they suddenly fell into.

"It's an adventure."

"I thought marriage wasn't for you."

Lisa let out a deep sigh. When she told Jennie that she had to talk to Baekhyun, she knew that this conversation was going to touch on their break-up eventually. But they had to have this talk. They needed closure.

Baekhyun needed closure.

"It wasn't for us." Lisa didn't want to hurt him, but she wanted to give him the truth.

Baekhyun, who was still sitting on the bench, looked up to meet the sad, apologetic eyes of his ex. When he came by the studio unannounced, he was hoping that they could talk. Maybe try to see if there was still something there. What he didn't expect to see was her famous wife. He also didn't expect a very protective and very jealous Jennie Kim.

He had lost Lisa a long time ago.

And it seemed impossible to get her back now.

_Not when she's so happy and in love._

"Well, I'm glad you found the one." He pried his eyes away from Lisa's, not wanting to get emotional. "Your wife is kinda scary." Baekhyun continued in an attempt to ease the tension between them.

"Yeah, but I love her anyway." The word 'love' just slipped from Lisa's lips without her being able to stop it. Even the dancer was surprised with herself.

On the other side of the wall, near the door that was purposely left ajar, Jennie froze to where she hid. But the shock was momentary as it was replaced by confusion. While she felt elated by the 'love declaration' from Lisa, she also felt a little bit guilty.

Both Lisa and Jennie wondered whether or not the blonde was just playing it up to keep their show on.

Jennie did not see the blush that tinted the blonde's cheeks.

"I can see that."

"I knew you liked girls but I never thought of you marrying one, and one you barely know."

"It's interesting to discover new things about her everyday. She can be really sweet, you know." Lisa smiled, thinking of the cute Lion King mask that was still on her bedside table back home.

_Ha, score!_

Jennie felt like doing a victory dance. She would have, if Chaeyoung wasn't giving her that suspicious look from the reception table. Jennie played it off like she was just waiting for Lisa to come out.

"I missed you."

Jennie stiffened at that. This guy had the nerve to tell that to HER wife? Who the hell did he think he is? She wanted nothing but to smack him but at the same time, she was curious to know how Lisa felt. Did she miss pretty boy as well?

Silently, she wished Lisa didn't.

The lack of response unsettled the brunette. Did she nod, did she shake her head? Or maybe she didn't respond at all?

All those thoughts were swirling through her head as she heard Baekhyun speak again.

"What's different about her?"

"I don't know… She's- a handful." Lisa couldn't help but smile at the thought of Jennie. The brunette was often playful to the point of annoying. She had mood swings although she had to push her to really anger her. Jennie was actually really sweet and funny.

"Does it feel right with her?"

The blonde contemplated on what to say, although there was really no other answer to that. Since she was married to Jennie, the right answer would only be 'yes'. Keeping true to her role, she gave him a nod.

On the other side of the wall, near the door, Jennie squirmed when she did not hear Lisa's answer.

The chat with Baekhyun did not last any longer. Lisa found Jennie standing idly by the reception desk with Chaeyoung. When Jennie saw her, the brunette said a short goodbye to Chae and without waiting for the blonde, she went ahead to the parking lot. Lisa turned her inquisitive eyes to her friend, who just shrugged in response.

Chaeyoung wasn't really sure about the sudden change in Jennie's behavior. Although the actress was obviously exhausted when she arrived, she was particularly jovial and excited, an exact contrast when she came out of Lisa's class later. She had a feeling it had something to do with the appearance of Baekhyun Byun, her friend's ex.

Lisa proceeded to leave. Chaeyoung gave her a sympathetic smile.

The drive to their house was quiet. When she climbed next to Jennie in the passenger seat, the brunette did not say a word, nor did she throw a glance at her. Lisa thought it better not to pry. That would just annoy her wife, and she had no more energy to argue.

"Pretty boy wasn't just a friend, was he?" Jennie finally spoke.

"Don't call him that."

"Well…?" The brunette impatiently prodded.

"He's my ex."

"Ex-boyfriend?"

"Ex-fiance." Lisa admitted.

Jennie turned silent again. Lisa turned her head to face her, attempting to read her but failed. The actress was staring blankly on the road. It was after a few minutes that Jennie spoke again.

"So, uh, why didn't you go through with it?"

"It didn't feel right."

And then there was that feeling again; the feeling of guilt. Finding out about this part of Lisa's past was aggravating. She almost got married, to a guy that she probably loved, but she decided to call it off because it didn't feel right.

That was honorable.

Then she got herself involved with Jennie and her world.

Here she was now, together in matrimony with Jennie, in a timed-marriage that would last a year. Marriage meant a lot to Lisa, that, Jennie could tell by the decision she made in the past. But she trapped her in a meaningless one.

Jennie winced at the guilt that settled on her gut.

"And I forced you into it." The brunette spoke, more to herself than to Lisa. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"You didn't force me. I chose to marry you." Lisa reassured her wife. Still, that didn't help ease the distress Jennie was feeling at the moment.

"Did you love him?"

"Yes."

"Uh… Do you still love him?"

"No." Lisa answered, an amused smile playing on her lips. Why did Jennie even have to ask? She obviously had no feelings for Baekhyun anymore. Otherwise, she wouldn't be married to the brunette. She married Jennie free from any emotional attachments to anyone.

Then Lisa remembered something.

"Hey, stop the car."

"Why?" Jennie asked, feeling a little bit better after their talk. She was a bit confused at the request, but was already slowing the car down to the side of the road.

"Just do as I say."

Jennie pulled the car into a stop on the side of the road. Lisa then reached for her left hand and slid something that felt cold against Jennie's ring finger. When she looked to see what it was, her jaw dropped.

It was her wedding ring.

"How did you-"

"You didn't leave it at Jisoo's."

"I didn't?" Jennie looked baffled at the blonde. She was quite sure that she took it off at Jisoos's house.

"It was wrapped on a tissue in your coat pocket. You were on your way to New York when I found it."

Jennie lifted her hand to look at the wedding ring closely. She lifted her other hand and ran a finger over the ring before looking back up to Lisa with a smile.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry for giving you so much crap for losing it."

"No. I'm sorry for taking it off. I'll never take it off again."

"You promise?"

"Only if you promise never to take off yours as well."

"I promise."

"Pinky swear?" Jennie raised her left pinkie.

Lisa chuckled before lifting her own left pinkie to interlock it with Jennie's.

"Pinky swear."

"So, uhm, don't I get like, a kiss or something?" Jennie joked.

"Don't push your luck." Lisa playfully shoved Jennie.

They were both laughing and the brunette was about to pull out of their parking when her iPhone rang. Jennie picked up her headset from the console and tucked it in her ear. She mouthed an 'excuse me' to Lisa before answering the call with a huge smile on her face.

"Hi Grandma… We're doing great, I just got back from New York today… You've seen it?... Yeah, about that, well…" The smile on Jennie's face turned into a grimace. She threw a brief, helpless glance at Lisa that got the blonde confused. "I know, that was stupid of me… Yeah, but… Grandma…" Jennie whined.

Lisa had an idea as to what grandma was talking to Jennie about. She wanted to laugh at the priceless look on her wife's face. Jennie couldn't even get in a sentence to defend herself.

"I've apologized to her already… Of course she forgave me… We found the ring already… Yeah, she's with me right now. Do you want to talk to her?... What?" Jennie screeched. She looked horrified.

"What? What did she say?" Lisa was surprised when Jennie shrieked and now she was nervous. Jennie waved a hand, motioning that she'd tell her later.

"But, Grandma… No… We haven't cleaned up in days… Well, I was in New York and Lili had been busy with her work at the studio… Can we set it another date? But grandma… Hello? Grandma?" Jennie frowned. She snatched her iPhone from the console and that confirmed her suspicions.

Grandma just hung up on her.

She and Lisa were about to be in deep shit.

"Crap. She hung up on me!" Jennie pulled the headset off her ear and threw it grudgingly back into the console.

"Care to tell me what just happened?" Lisa asked her, arching an eyebrow.

"We need to get back home and move your things into my room as fast as we can." Jennie pulled her Range Rover out of parking and resumed driving.

"Why?"

"Because mom and grandma are on their way and they are coming to stay overnight."

"What?"

"It would be weird if they found our things in different bedrooms."

"Well, can't we move your things to my room?"

"Your room is too small. My clothes wouldn't fit."

Jennie broke all speed limits and as soon as they arrived home, they scrambled inside and rushed to move all of Lisa's things into Jennie's bedroom.

It was almost forty-five minutes later when the door bell rang.

Jennie didn't have time to change clothes as she dashed downstairs to open the door. It revealed the two Kim women. One of them smiling, and the other, well, scowling.

You guess.

"Why are you all sweaty?" Grandma scrutinized her from head to foot.

"Huh?" Jennie's face was flushed due to all the moving and rearranging that they had done. She heard the footsteps from the direction of the stairs and just as expected, Lisa came into view of her in-laws.

"Hi mom! And grandma! I'm glad you could make it." A genuine smile played on Lisa's lips as she approached the elder women. She gave both of them a hug, and after she pulled away from grandma, the old woman shifted her eyes back to her grandchild before turning them back to her equally sweaty in-law.

A look of enlightenment dawned on the old woman's face.

"Oh, we didn't interrupt anything, did we?" Grandma asked. Jia looked amused.

Lisa and Jennie exchanged confused looks, taking in each other's appearance. Then they realized what grandma was trying to imply.

They blushed at the same time.

"Oh god, no. We're…" Lisa turned helplessly at her wife.

"Yeah, we we're just… exercising." Jennie mentally slapped herself.

"I'm sure you were." Grandma said, before walking into the house, smiling. Jennie's eyes followed her grandmother.

"That was embarrassingly awkward." Jennie shook her head.

"You know your grandmother is just teasing you." Jia smiled at her daughter.

"Hi, mom."

Jennie hugged her mom and kissed her on the cheek before leading her to the house. Jia caught when Jennie grabbed Lisa's hand and intertwined it with hers.

Mom smiled at the gesture.

On the other hand, Lisa's cheeks remained tinted with red.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It had been an interesting night. Thank god Jia brought dinner which meant that Lisa's in-laws did not have to experience her disastrous cooking. They ate by the pool and chatted the night away. Mom told Lisa some of Jennie's stories growing up, while Grandma made sure not to be left out by telling her own Jennie stories, more particularly the embarrassing ones.

Jennie had to cover her face most of the time to hide her embarrassment.

Lisa enjoyed listening to them. She felt like she knew Jennie a little bit more. It was those stories about Jennie being a protective friend that she loved the most. She couldn't help but smile as she imagined the small brunette tackling the big school bully for picking on her smaller friend, Yoongi Min, during prep school. Lisa remembered meeting him at their wedding.

Yoongi wasn't the only friend Jennie defended when she was younger. The caring brunette also came to Sehun's rescue in highschool when their own friend, Junmyeon Kim, broke his nose over a girl. Granted, it was Sehun's fault for being such an asshole, but she was really close to him at that time. They had each other's backs in highschool.

There were also stories that involved Jisoo but Lisa tuned out on those.

Regrettably, the night came to an end. Grandma and Mom shared Lisa's bedroom. And Lisa, well, it was only now that she realized that moving her things into Jennie's room also meant that she was to move as well, which meant that they were to share the bed.

It was like their 'honeymoon' at Zihuatanejo all over again.

"Looks like we have to share." Jennie's voice broke through Lisa's thoughts, gesturing at the Queen-sized bed as she came out from her walk-in closet in her shorts and tank tops.

"Yeah." The blonde nodded, standing awkwardly on the side of the bed.

"Which side do you want?" The brunette sounded calm and collected, but she was panicking inside. She managed to avoid this situation in Zihuatanejo, but there wasn't any choice now with her mom and grandmother in the next room.

The images of the dance routine earlier and Lisa's well-defined abs weren't helping either.

Jennie cleared her throat, forcing the images away.

"The right." Lisa answered.

"Great. I prefer the left." Jennie smiled and sat on the bed. She lay down, settled underneath the comforter and turned off the lamp on her side. As she tried to ignore the increased pace of her heartbeat, she sensed the blonde's reluctance to join her.

Jennie turned to see Lisa still standing awkwardly.

"Are you going to sleep, or-"

"You're not going to push me off the bed again, are you?"

Jennie chuckled nervously.

"No."

Reluctantly, Lisa got on the bed and under the comforter as well. Jennie's breath hitched as the blonde's knee accidentally brushed with her thigh. Without being obvious, Jennie scooted a little bit further from the writer as the blonde switched off the lamp on her side. The brunette rolled to her other side, facing away from her wife.

Damn, it had been a long time since she had slept beside someone.

And that someone had been naked.

"Stop it, Jennie." She berated herself.

"Did you say something?" Lisa scowled in the dark. She was lying on her back, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

Jennie's eyes widened at the realization that she actually said those thoughts aloud.

"Oh, uhm, I was just saying goodnight… Goodnight, wifey." Jennie said softly.

Lisa smiled at the term 'wifey'. Jennie seemed so fond of calling her that. And she wasn't complaining.

"Goodnight, Jen…"

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

There had been a lot of tossing and turning. Jennie wasn't really keeping track. She was desperate to sleep but despite her exhaustion from the day's activities, she was still widely awake. She was restless. When she changed position again, this time turning on her other side that she had been avoiding because it meant she would be facing Lisa, she found a pair of doe brown eyes staring at her.

That's where she got lost.

As it turned out, Jennie wasn't the only one having a hard time sleeping.

Instead of closing her eyes and try sleeping again, Jennie stared back.

Seconds passed, and then minutes. Neither of them said or did anything. They just lay there, facing each other, letting their eyes do the talking. Jennie didn't know who moved first, but now they lay closer to each other. She could feel the blonde's warm breath on her face. Lisa's knees were brushing against the skin on her thighs again, but this time, she didn't move away. The touch sent jolts of sensation through every part of her being.

Brown eyes flickered lower, locking on pink lips. Unconsciously, Jennie's own lips parted. She felt like she was being pulled towards her wife by an invisible force. The air was suddenly thick with tension, and Jennie tried hard to fight the pull. It turned out she wasn't that strong and losing all sense of rationality, she moved in for a kiss that wasn't going to be like any of those kisses they'd had before.

Jennie's lips pressed against Lisa's, glad that the blonde did not push her away as she initially expected. The kiss was soft, gentle and tentative. With her eyes closed, the brunette started exploring, feeling as if it was their first time. When Lisa's lips started moving with her own, she suddenly felt bold and let her tongue brush against her wife's upper lip.

The moan that came out of Lisa's mouth made the brunette shudder.

Jennie felt Lisa's hand on the side of her face, stroking its way down the nape of her neck and latched onto it. She found herself crawling on top of the blonde, propping herself on an elbow while her other hand tangled with Lisa's hair. Her blonde locks felt so soft against her hand, and Jennie wondered why she hadn't tried touching them before.

Jennie started sucking on Lisa's bottom lip, eliciting another moan from the writer. Desperate for more, the brunette slipped her tongue out, urging and coaxing for Lisa's lips to part. When her unspoken request was granted and Lisa's tongue met hers, Jennie felt an explosion of sparks behind her eyelids. Their tongues moved sensually against each other. She tilted her head, and Lisa let her tongue slip even deeper. The pale hand clutching at the back of Jennie's neck tightened, pulling her closer, another guttural moan coming out of her mouth as she did so. Lisa's other hand was now slowly dragging on the lower part of Jennie's back, her touch tender, yearning.

Jennie was becoming breathless, but she refused to pull away. She continued kissing Lisa as if her life depended on it. With her hand lazily stroking the side of Lisa's neck, she pulled it lower, settling on the writer's chest, right on top of her heart.

Lisa's heart was beating frantically, just like Jennie's.

Jennie had kissed so many before. Her fingers wouldn't be enough to count them. But there was never a time that she had felt like this; so connected and so contented. Kissing had never been this good. It had never felt so right before. This reminded her of those fairy tales her mother read to her when she was a child, that perfect kiss in the end after the princess found her prince charming.

This kiss was perfect.

It was everything a kiss should be.

Eventually, the need for air became too much, but as she was about to pull away, she felt herself being rolled over. It was clear what the blonde's intention was, but she miscalculated, causing her to-

BAM!

Jennie was dropped ungracefully on the floor. It was a good thing that the floor around the bed was carpeted; it muffled the sound of her fall and at the same time, knocked them back to their senses. Jennie immediately got back into her feet, more embarrassed than ever. Her wife switched on the lamp at once.

The light revealed how flustered they both were.

Lisa sat flustered on the edge of the bed, looking worried at the brunette. On the other hand, Jennie stood awkwardly by the bed, not knowing what to say or do after what they had just done.

"That was, uhm…" Lisa spoke first. She knew someone had to break the ice eventually, but didn't get to finish her sentence. She didn't really know what to say.

"I'm sorry about…" Jennie trailed off. She wasn't sure what she was apologizing for. Certainly, she wasn't sorry for kissing Lisa and she wasn't going to lie about that.

"Yeah…" Lisa said, not letting the brunette finish. "Are you okay? Did you-"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Jennie dismissively waved her hands. The fall wasn't that painful. It was the humiliation that was making her feel worse.

"Good." Lisa nodded, her eyes avoiding Jennie's.

"Good." Jennie repeated. "I didn't mean to…" Her eyes were looking at everywhere but Lisa.

"What?" Doe eyes snapped back to Jennie's direction.

"Nothing." Jennie shook her head frantically, hoping that Lisa wouldn't get any wrong ideas. She felt like her brain was going to short circuit any moment with what just happened and everything that was happening now.

"I think I've had too much red wine." The blonde gave as an excuse.

"Uhm, me too?" Jennie decided to agree although the tone of her voice and her eyes were conveying a different message.

"We should get back to sleep."

"Yeah. You're right, I'll just… go to the bathroom."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Uhm, goodnight. Again." Jennie headed for the door.

"Goodnight." Lisa said, tucking herself back underneath the comforter and making sure to stay as farthest as she could from Jennie's side of the bed.

Most. Awkward. Conversation. Ever.

As soon as Jennie had locked herself inside the master bathroom, she let out the deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding. That was just…

_Wow._

The brunette stood facing the large mirror, staring at the flustered reflection of herself. While she enjoyed kissing Lisa, she was now worried as to how Lisa felt. She knew it was her fault, and she shouldn't have initiated it.

Still, she wasn't regretting it.

She lifted a hand and ran her fingers on her swollen lips. A bashful smiled played on her lips as memories of the kiss came back to her.

_Again, wow._

It was after thirty minutes that she found the courage to go back to her bedroom and found Lisa sleeping on her side, in her preferred side of the bed, facing away from her. It seemed that she was already sleeping and Jennie was thankful for that. Strangely, it didn't take long for her to drift into peaceful slumber herself.

The following morning, Jennie woke up to the warm breathing on her neck that sent tingles on every part of her. She also realized that the reason why she felt like she was being squeezed to death was because of the strong arm that was draped tightly on top of her stomach. Her back was pressed firmly against Lisa's front, and she could feel the heat emanating from her wife's body.

It seemed that the two of them found their way to each other sometime the previous night as they both abandoned their positions in their respective sides.

Jennie couldn't help but smile again.

The first rays of the morning sun were starting to creep in through her large window and Jennie would have loved to stay in Lisa's arms longer. But after what happened last night and hearing the movements downstairs (she was sure that her grandmother was already awake), she knew it was better if she let the blonde wake up alone. Sighing after coming to a resolution, she made a move to get up but stopped as her eyes caught a sight of her iPhone resting on top of the bedside table.

Grinning, she reached for it and flicked the camera button. She lifted it up, focused the camera in between her and Lisa, and took a picture as she pretended to be still sleeping as well. She tried to suppress the giggle and checked the photo on her folder.

Taehyung wasn't lying when he said they were so adorable together.

Reluctantly, Jennie pried herself away from Lisa's grasp, making sure not to wake her up. Before completely leaving her bedroom, she leaned over the blonde and gave her a peck on the side of her forehead. She caught a whiff of Lisa's shampoo.

_Hmm, lavender._

Jennie concluded with a smile.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa smelled something delicious cooking in the kitchen as she descended the stairs after she woke up. She doubled her steps, curious, and found her in-laws already at the table while Jennie looked like she was cooking.

Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. She had never seen Jennie cook before.

When her wife turned, that's when the writer noticed Jennie wearing an apron. She looked totally cute as she walked towards the table with a plate on each of her hands. Lisa stood at a distance, amused.

"So, it seems the Queen of this household finally decided to join us." Grandma's teasing voice tore Lisa's eyes away from Jennie.

All eyes turned towards her, so she took the last steps and joined everybody in the dining table. She sat opposite Jia.

"Good morning." Lisa smiled at her in-laws before turning her head to Jennie, who was standing beside her. "Good morning, babe." A mouth-watering plate of something was then placed in front of her and a kiss was dropped on top of her head.

"I was wondering what time you'd be waking up." Jennie untied her apron, took it off and tossed it somewhere, not caring where it landed. That earned her a castigating look from her mom, but she didn't really care. She pulled the chair next to her wife and pushed the cup of coffee near Lisa. "I missed you already." She smiled at the blonde.

Lisa was flattered at the attention, but after last night, she felt a little bit uneasy with their 'couple interaction'. She tried her best not to let it show though, not wanting to disappoint the in-laws.

"So, what's this?" Lisa picked up her fork and pointed to the plate in front of her.

"It's called Kongnamul Bap. Try it, come on." Jennie encouraged, looking eager.

Lisa did. As soon as the food reached her mouth, a satisfied hum came out of her lips.

"Good, right?" Jennie grinned.

"Did you make it?"

"Of course. I learned from mom."

"Really?" Lisa arched an eyebrow. "Why haven't you cooked me this before?" She looked expectantly at her wife. All this time, Jennie knew how to cook. And she didn't just know how to, she was extremely good at it if this kongna-something was any proof. Needless to say, she was curious as to why Jennie let both of them suffer with Lisa's cooking if she could actually cook.

"I wanted to surprise you." The brunette replied casually before diving in to her own plate of breakfast.

Lisa stared at Jennie in disbelief. The actress could feel the stare on the side of her head but she just smiled knowingly.

"Mom, about your question before my wife decided to show up, I'm not sure when Lisa and I would be able to visit and sleep over. I'll try to find time when we're both available. She hasn't really bonded that much with my siblings since they only met at the wedding, but I'm sure she'd love to spend time with them, right babe?"

"What? Oh, yes of course."

"I'll just call Yeji and Jungkook so I could fit our schedules with theirs."

"Try to do that sooner. Your father is excited to get the whole family together, especially now that our family's getting bigger." Jia threw a smile at Lisa.

Lisa smiled back, but she wondered as to the status of Jennie's relationship with her father. After that temporary truce at the wedding, she hadn't really asked and blamed herself for it. When her eyes met Jennie's, it seemed that the brunette understood.

"I've been trying to fix things with my dad." Jennie said.

It was weird that Jennie was able to read her.

"We're making progress, especially that last time I picked you up from Valencia." Jennie smiled at Lisa. She never told the blonde, but she had been exchanging calls with her dad after the wedding.

"Wow, that's good." Lisa was genuinely pleased that the brunette took her up on her advice.

"Yeah. And it was because of you." Jennie said, the sincerity apparent in her eyes.

"I agree." Grandma interjected. "I would propose a toast but it's too early in the morning. You're heaven sent, Lisa. If it weren't for you, my grandchild would still be her stubborn self." She narrowed her eyes at Jennie who just rolled her eyes.

"Don't ruin my moment, grandma."

"Alright. As much as I'd love to stay and watch you get into each other's nerves, your grandmother and I have to go." Jia got up from her chair and Grandma Kim followed.

"You're leaving?" Lisa felt a little sad. While they weren't exactly that forthcoming when the in-laws decided to stay over, she had a lot of fun with them around.

"Honey, this wouldn't be the last time that we're coming over so don't miss us too much." Jia walked around the table and hugged Lisa and Jennie. Grandma Kim followed.

"Don't encourage them, sweetheart." Jennie joked.

Lisa blushed at the new term of endearment.

The couple followed mom and grandma to the door and outside. Jennie reached for Lisa's hand and interlocked their fingers once again. The family car was already outside with the driver waiting.

"Don't be a stranger, Jennie." Grandma waved at the two of them as she climbed into the BMW after Jia.

"I won't." Jennie waved back at her grandmother, smiling as she watched the BMW drive away.

As soon as the car was out of their sight, Lisa let go of Jennie's hand. The brunette frowned as she watched her wife walk wordlessly back into the house, her hand suddenly feeling cold at the lost of contact.

She went after Lisa.

"I'd help you move my things back into my room, but I have to go somewhere today. So, can we do the moving tonight?" Lisa said as she climbed upstairs with Jennie trailing behind her.

"Where are you going?"

"Sehun called. He wants to see me today." The writer entered Jennie's bedroom, heading for the walk-in closet to find clothes to wear. The call had been a blessing, really. It gave her an excuse to have some time and space away from her wife. The feelings she felt last night only added to the confusion in her mind.

She reminded herself again to keep her distance. That would keep things simple.

"Why? What does he want now?" Jennie growled.

"I don't know. I hope I'm not getting fired." Now that the blonde thought about it, Sehun did not really say the reason why they had to meet. She worried that he didn't like the draft of the manuscript with the ideas they brainstormed during their last meeting. What if he really was firing her?

"Probably. You suck at writing." Jennie rolled her eyes. She was feeling all cheerful that morning and Sehun just had to ruin her mood.

"Shut up." Lisa pulled out one pair of her pants and examined it. She didn't like it so she put it back. Next, she pulled out a skirt. When she lifted it up for inspection, it was snatched unceremoniously from her hands.

The writer turned an inquisitive look at Jennie with her hands on her hips.

"It's too short." She gruffly said and pulled the pants Lisa was previously holding. "Wear this." Jennie said, shoving the pants back into Lisa's hands.

"What? I don't-"

"We don't want him to think that you're trying to impress him."

"Well, I kind of have to. He's sort of my boss."

"No. I mean, with your clothes. You don't have to impress him with the way you dress. You're married. You can't just do that now."

"I know that. Just to be clear, I'm not going to wear the skirt just to impress him."

"You're still _not_ going to wear that skirt." Jennie glowered at the blonde.

"Yes I _am_ wearing this skirt. The weather is nice and it's the most comfortable thing to wear." Lisa shoved the pants back into Jennie's arms and snatched the skirt back from where it landed.

"So, you're not really trying to impress Sehun?"

"No. I'm not trying to impress him because I don't even like him that way." Lisa then pulled a yellow top that matched the skirt. Satisfied, she turned to leave the walk-in closet, still with Jennie following her.

"You don't?"

"No. I think he's really handsome but no."

"Please, he's not that good-looking. Why don't you tell him you can't make it? It's really hot outside these days."

"I can't I have to meet him."

"No, you don't. Tell him you're busy."

"But I'm not."

"Just do it."

"Why would I?"

Jennie couldn't find a reason, really.

"What time will you be back?"

"I'm not sure." Lisa checked the time on Jennie's digital clock resting on her bedside table. It was 10:00 a.m. "We'll probably have lunch after that."

"What? Why would you have lunch with him?"

"Why else? Because I'll be hungry."

"What about me?"

"Do I have to do everything for you? Are you invalid or just plain lazy? And yeah, about that. Why didn't you tell me that you can cook like a chef? You made me suffer cooking all the time."

"I'm not going to eat until you're here. Just come home early, okay?" Jennie skirted around the question. She threw herself on the bed.

"What?" Lisa stared at her in disbelief.

"I'll be waiting so come home early!"

"Fine. You'll either cook for yourself or you can wait all you want. I'm not going to be the one hungry."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

As it turned out, Lisa wasn't going to get fired.

Sehun just needed someone to spend his birthday with. Lisa was more than willing to oblige. Time away from Jennie was very welcome. Although she didn't really get away that much considering that Sehun brought her to watch one of Jennie's recent movies that was still being shown in one of the cinemas near Sehun's office.

"You really should have told me that it's your birthday. I could have bought you something." Lisa said as they walked out of the cinema after finishing the movie.

"It's okay. You're my gift. I feel happy when I'm with you." Sehun walked beside her, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants.

Lisa was glad she chose to wear the skirt. Had she wore the pants as Jennie insisted, she would have felt underdressed beside Sehun who seemed to be always wearing expensive suits.

"You mean I'm funny."

"I keep laughing when I'm with you. Lisa, I like being with you."

"Oh, I have an idea. I still haven't bought you spaghetti yet and I haven't got you anything, so why don't you let me treat you to that spaghetti place I'd been telling you about?"

"That sounds awesome."

Meanwhile, in a street not too far away where Lisa and Sehun were, an angry Jennie was sitting behind the wheel of her white Range Rover. She almost got caught twice for speeding, but luckily, she got away with it using her charms. The last conversation she had with Lisa's friend, Bambam.., was still fresh in her mind.

" _I don't even remember giving you my number, Junior." Jennie spat as she realized who was calling her._

" _I got it from Rosie. I just got out of an audition downtown when I-"_

" _Just cut to the chase, will you?" She was annoyed. Bambam had never really done anything wrong to her, but since she was already not in the mood when the Thai called, she did not bother to_ _pretend to be nice._

" _I saw Lisa come out of the cinema with a guy. I recognized him from your wedding. I think he's one of your friends."_

_Jennie knew actually who Bambam was talking about. It was Sehun._

" _Lisa's my friend and I don't like that guy. I have a bad feeling about him."_

" _That makes two of us."_

" _Don't think that I'm creepy but I spied on them and I heard Lisa talking about a spaghetti place. I think they are about to go there. I just thought you should know. He was turning on the charm with your wife."_

" _Tell me where they are and the address of that spaghetti place you were talking about."_

Luckily, Jennie was just about to meet up with Taehyung in LA when she got Bambam's call.

Sehun had just pulled his car out of parking and on their way to Lisa's spaghetti place when Sehun spoke.

"So, where is this place you keep talking about? Is it famous?" Sehun threw a brief glance sideways as he drove.

"Oh, it's not famous. It's just that their spaghetti is cheap and they have big servings." Lisa grinned.

"That's the best kind of place."

"So order whatever you want."

"What do you like besides spaghetti?" He asked, eager to get to know the blonde more. They had been meeting twice or thrice a week, but they always talk about Lisa's stories. Today was his opportunity to get to know her.

"I eat anything." Lisa shrugged.

Before Sehun could ask another question, a phone started ringing. That wasn't his ring tone. Lisa scrambled to pull her phone from her bag. After looking at the caller ID, she frowned.

"Excuse me." She said to Sehun.

He nodded.

"What?" She hissed.

" _Where are you?"_

"I'm with Sehun right now."

" _I know that. But what were you doing at a cinema? If you wanted to watch my movie, you could have just asked for my DVD copies. I thought you were just discussing work in his office."_

"We finished early. Why is that any of your business? And how did you know we were watching your movie? Are you here?" Lisa looked around for Jennie's Range Rover. She couldn't find it.

" _You didn't answer my question. Where are you?"_

"We're going to eat spaghetti."

" _Lili, do you have to eat spaghetti now? Don't eat. I'll buy you an Italian restaurant!"_

"Why?"

" _What do you mean why? Just leave him!"_

"I don't want to. I've already promised Sehun I'd treat him out. It's his birthday today."

" _What? The thing is, well…"_ Jennie scrambled to find reasons to convince Lisa to go with her instead. Then an idea clicked. _"Grandma is sick. We have to hurry. She said she has to see us."_

"What? She was fine when they left this morning."

" _She's old and it's not her fault if she feels fine one moment and sick the next."_ Jennie bit her lip. She hoped her grandmother would forgive for using her in her lie.

"Okay, okay. Tell me where you are."

" _I'm parked near the Walt Disney Concert Hall."_

"We're not far away. I'll be there in three minutes." Lisa hung up.

"Is everything alright?"

"Jennie said Grandma is sick. Oh God. I have to go see her. I'm sorry Sehun, but I'm going to have to cancel."

"It's okay. I understand."

"Can you turn right, please? Jennie's parked near the Walt Disney Concert Hall."

Sehun followed the request. As he turned right, his eyes immediately found Jennie's white Range Rover on the side of the street.

"I think that's Jennie's car." He pulled his car behind Jennie's. Lisa jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. She ran towards the Range Rover and knocked anxiously on the window to the passenger side, startling Jennie.

The actress rolled the window down and unlocked the door.

"Grandma isn't seriously sick, is she?" Jennie asked.

"We'll have to go and see. Get in, Lili." Jennie replied, her expression turning serious as she saw Sehun's figure approaching on her side mirror.

Lisa clambered into the passenger seat and quickly pulled her seatbelt on. As Sehun came into view at Jennie's side, she leaned over, looking apologetically at him.

"I'm really sorry, Sehun. Let's do this again next time."

"It's no problem. Send my regards to Eunseo, will you?" Sehun smiled at Lisa, before turning to Jennie.

Jennie barely acknowledged him. She didn't even look at him.

"Catch you later, pal." With that obvious bite in her voice, Jennie sped away.

Lisa watched Sehun on the rear view mirror until she couldn't see him anymore. When she shifted her attention back to Jennie, the brunette was livid. When it looked like Jennie wasn't going to speak anytime soon, she finally spoke.

"It's Sehun's birthday today."

"So?" Jennie arched an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why do I have to?" Jennie frowned.

"I just thought, since you two are long-time friends, you'd at least greet him a happy birthday. He's alone and he seemed lonely."

"Why are you so worried about him?" The brunette asked, clearly annoyed.

"We should invite him over some time."

"Why?"

"He's my friend and I don't want to see sad people."

"I thought you were just going to talk about business." Jennie sounded furious.

"We were. But we were done early so we went to see your movie."

"Uhm, so, how was the movie?"

"It was weird. I didn't understand what was going on. It wasn't good. I don't understand why you agreed to do it." Lisa replied honestly.

"What do you know about movies? It was badly edited from the beginning up to the end. I blame the editors. You're one to talk. You can barely write decent synopses." Jennie turned defensive.

"That's not the problem now, is it? How's Grandma?"

Jennie's eyes widened. She forgot about the lie she made up as soon as Lisa got in the car. She had no plans beyond that.

"We'll have to go and find out. Oh, I'm getting a call."

Lisa scowled. She didn't even hear it ring.

The actress snatched the head set from the console and tucked it in her ear.

"Hello, Grandma? Oh you're feeling better now?" Jennie plastered a wide smile and briefly turned at Lisa's direction.

"Is that Grandma? I want to talk to her." Lisa attempted to reach for the head set and the iPhone but Jennie was fast to get it away from her grasp.

Making sure that Lisa wouldn't try to steal her phone again, Jennie placed it on her crotch.

"We don't have to come?" Jennie's grin became even wider.

Lisa thought she looked creepy.

"So we don't have to go then. Okay, grandma. Take care. I love you." Jennie 'hung up' before Lisa could ask to talk to her grandma again. "She's okay now. She said we don't have to come over."

"I wanted to ask her how she's doing." Lisa pouted. "But I'm glad she's okay."

"Yeah, me too." Jennie silently thanked her grandmother and tried not to smile too much. Lisa might get suspicious. "Shall we go have lunch?"

"What did you say? We still have to go." Lisa looked incredulously at Jennie.

"No we don't. She said we don't have to." Jennie whined.

"What are you talking about? We're going to Valencia." Lisa sounded firm and Jennie just couldn't protest.

_Oh, fuck._

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Grandma? Grandma?"

Eunseo looked away from the television show she was watching in the living room as she heard that familiar voice that seem to be coming from outside.

"Was that Lisa?" Grandmother asked, straining her ears to hear the voice again.

"I think so." Jia frowned.

"The kids must be here." Hojin looked up from the newspaper he was reading and adjusted the eyeglasses that was perched on his nose.

The three elder Kims were relaxing in the living room when the door was thrown open, revealing Lisa who was panting from the running she did from where Jennie had parked her car up to the house. Behind her was a fretful-looking Jennie.

"Grandma, are you alright?" Lisa dropped to her knees in front of Eunseo. She held grandma's hands.

"What do you mean?" Eunseo looked down at her in confusion.

"You should be resting and not watching TV." The blonde replied.

"What?" Eunseo was still confused.

The interaction was making Jennie feel more nervous. She'd get caught in her lie eventually, so she had to at least try and save herself. Jennie then ran to her grandmother's arms, knocking Lisa to the floor. She wrapped her grandmother in a really tight embrace.

"Grandma! You're feeling better now! I'm so happy!" Jennie was squeezing Eunseo tight.

Hojin and Jia exchanged perplexed looks.

"Mother, were you sick?" Hojin turned curiously at his mother. She usually talks to him if she wasn't feeling good. He was a doctor, after all.

Struggling to breathe as her granddaughter still wasn't letting go of her, she managed to choke out her answer.

"I'm fine. Someone told you I was sick?" Eunseo tried to push Jennie away, but she wasn't letting go.

Jennie kept her arms around her grandmother.

"In my dream." Jennie tried to put her acting skills to good use. "You appeared last night and you told me you were sick. I was so worried about you. You have to stay healthy, okay?" She pecked her grandmother on the cheek. Then she tightened her hug again.

"Jennie, you're suffocating me."

It took Hojin, Jia and Lisa to pry Jennie away from her grandmother.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It was after dinner when Jennie and Lisa got back home. She had a clear idea of what just happened but decided not to tell grandma about the obvious lie Jennie just involved her in. What annoyed her was Jennie wasn't even apologizing or explaining why.

"What's wrong with you? Has the heat gotten to your brain?" Lisa scolded her wife as soon as their front door closed.

"No. The dream felt so real when Grandma told me she was sick." Jennie was still acting. If Lisa didn't know any better she would have believed her.

"You can't tell a dream from reality? Are you stupid?"

"What?"

"And what was the call about? You said it was Grandma."

"A ghost. A ghost must have called. We need an exorcist." Jennie held Lisa by the shoulders and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Find an exorcist, so we could have an exorcism, okay?" With that, Jennie ran straight to her bedroom and locked herself in.

_What the fuck?_

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh jennie 🤦🤦


	8. REDRAFT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry babies for missing a day :( i was just v overwhelmed with lalisamaNoBangs ya know?? also jennie’s W Korea video? geez they’re really trying to end me..  
> anyways enjoy!! (i’m still not the author of this fic)

Six tattoos.

_Six?_

Lisa's eyes were fixed on the screen of her laptop as she re-read that part of the article and her eyebrows, puckered at the new information. A while ago, she was browsing the internet to clear her head of the writer's block she found herself in when she 'accidentally' stumbled upon one of Jennie's old interviews with FHM.

She totally _wasn't_ looking for Jennie's photos online. It was the article that got her interested in.

_Seriously_

She was too engrossed reading to check out the brunette's photos to notice that she wasn't wearing a bra under that plaid and unbuttoned shirt.

Sure, the brunette looked hot in that shot of her jumping on the bed, but she totally _wasn't_ checking the outline of her defined abs on her tank top.

She totally did _not_ drool on the sight of Jennie's exposed legs on that shot where she was bent down wearing an Auburn jersey and Nike shoes.

_Definitely not._

She _didn't_ even look long enough to notice Jennie's glorious boobs that seemed to be jumping out of her screen.

"Six?" She repeated to herself, mentally counting. Her head snapped to the direction of the stairs when she heard footsteps coming down.

Jennie had a late night reunion with some of her friends Jin, Jimin, Dahyun, Yoongi, Jihyo, Namjoon and Sehun (yes, _that_ Sehun) and had just woken up, it seemed. She marched into the dining room looking like a totally different person than in those pictures that Lisa _wasn't_ looking at a while ago. The actress was wearing a blue spaceship designed onesie and her dorky eyeglasses; her long hair tied into a messy pony tail. She looked so cute that Lisa just could not repress the adoring smile that formed on her face.

She grumbled a good morning to Lisa, who just returned the greeting with a nod.

Her eyes followed Jennie's movements as she snatched her favorite mug, heading for the coffee maker. As the brunette poured herself a cup, the right sleeve of her onesie bunched up, revealing one of the six tattoos she was wondering about just moments ago. She began counting again.

The first one that the blonde remembered seeing was that one on her wrist. If she wasn't mistaken, it was supposed to mean 'love' in ancient Korean.

Jennie had her back turned on Lisa as she was adding some sugar cubes and cream on her coffee. Brown doe eyes settled on Jennie's neck, relishing the memory of how the skin in there felt so smooth against her palm as she held on to her that night.

Lisa cleared her throat.

There it was, the second tattoo; the inked wave.

And then third, of course, there was that dolphin on her shoulder.

Her eyes followed Jennie again as the brunette walked towards the fridge, opening it to search for something to eat for brunch. It was almost noon anyway. Lisa remembered seeing one tattoo on Jennie's ankle, and there was that sort of flag on her other foot. Her eyes drifted downwards, as if trying to confirm the fourth and fifth tattoo.

So where's the sixth?

Her eyes lingered on Jennie's bare feet before it went up again, stopping at Jennie's butt cheeks.

Lisa swallowed the lump in her throat that formed out of nowhere.

Then her eyes slowly trailed higher again.

When Jennie found something that she wanted, she closed the fridge and walked back to pick up her coffee. Now with food and drink on her hands, Jennie took the final steps to join her wife in the dining table when she stopped on her tracks.

Jennie arched an eyebrow.

"Are you staring at my boobs?"

Doe eyes snapped back up to meet cat-shaped ones. Jennie didn't look angry or offended. She just looked like she was about to laugh. Lisa felt her ears burning.

"What? No." She squeaked; head shaking frantically for emphasis. Of course she was staring, but couldn't believe herself for being caught.

Hey, she was just curious about the sixth tattoo. Can anyone blame her? Surely, she wasn't the only one wondering. To make herself feel better, she silently convinced herself that she should know that anyway. Just in case, you know, anyone asked. She was the wife. She was supposed to know. But she couldn't just bear to throw the question out there.

"Uh-huh." A sly grin formed on the brunette's face. "You were totally looking." Jennie pulled the chair opposite Lisa. As she sat down, she playfully kicked her wife on the shins, under the table.

"I wasn't." Lisa kicked back before turning her eyes back to her laptop, mentally smacking herself. Maybe if she didn't let herself think of those boobs pressed against her own that night they made out, her eyes wouldn't have lingered longer and she wouldn't have gotten caught.

She was supposed to bury that night in the past but Jennie wasn't really helping that much when she's being this cute, or when she's being sexy, or-

_Stop it!_

Lisa shook the cloud out of her head, feeling flustered. She already liked Jennie more than she should although she was doing a great job hiding it. Jennie's ego was big enough as it is. She had to remind herself again.

_No emotional entanglements, no painful goodbyes._

That's the last thing she needed in the last few months left in their contract.

The two settled in comfortable silence.

On the other side of the table, the actress had been intently watching her wife as she ate; the smile never leaving her face.

Lisa looked so cute pretending to be in deep concentration.

Jennie had a reminiscing of her own as she let her mind drift back to their kiss; that fairytale kiss that she thought only existed in children's books. She wondered if the blonde felt it too. She'd been meaning to ask, but wasn't really sure how to start or what she was going to say.

It was all backwards and jumbled in her head tha Jennie felt a headache coming already.

And then there was Sehun who had been calling her wife to his office for 'work' more often lately. Needless to say, the brunette wasn't thrilled at all. The smile on Jennie's face was replaced by a scowl. She did hang out with him last night but she barely talked to him. She did remember one of the few things she said, though.

"I invited Sehun to dinner tonight. Get ready." Jennie said, her face turning serious and her tone a little heavier than it was a few minutes ago.

Lisa looked up from her laptop in surprise.

"Why?" The blonde looked puzzled. The last time she brought up Sehun, it was obvious that her wife wasn't that keen on talking about him, much less on spending time with him. Well, after that failed proposal to Jisoo that got Jennie coming home crying, she wasn't really expecting the brunette to immediately warm up to Sehun. But they were friends. Or used to be.

Jennie contemplated for a short moment before answering. The truth would be that to show Sehun to whom Lisa belonged. But that sounded too possessive and Jennie knew Lisa would hate to be treated like property, so she didn't say that out loud. Besides, Lisa wasn't really _hers._ Sehun should know his place, though. He hadn't done anything inappropriate yet, but it was obvious that he liked the blonde. If Lisa wasn't married, Jennie was sure he would have made a move on her already.

The thought made Jennie feel a bit queasy.

"You're the one who wanted him over, so I invited him." Jennie casually replied, successfully masking her spite for her 'friend'.

"You could have at least informed me ahead of time." Lisa panicked as she began searching for recipes on the internet.

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"I only talked to him last night. And what's the fret about?"

"What am I going to prepare for dinner? You didn't give me enough time to practice recipes. In case you didn't notice-"

"I'm cooking. But now that I think about it, I think it's a great idea to let you cook. Maybe that would turn him off. Jennie said.

"What?"

"Nothing. We're going grocery shopping."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie went to meet Taehyung first at Wilshire before heading to the Pavilions in Beverly Hills with Lisa to buy everything that they'd need for tonight's dinner. Lisa was walking in the produce section, a list on her hand, while Jennie trailed behind her with their half-filled cart of groceries.

When Jennie returned the parsley leaves that Lisa put in their cart, the blonde turned with a quizzical look.

"What?" Jennie asked.

"It was on the list. You're the one who wrote it. Unless I read it wrong because your handwriting is horrendous."

Jennie frowned.

"Who speaks like that?"

"Well, you wrote 'parsley leaves' here. So why did you put it back?"

The actress rolled her eyes. She left their cart and walked towards Lisa, totally invading the blonde's personal space as she leaned in, too close for Lisa's liking, only to point something on the list that was still on the writer's hand.

"Key word: fresh."

"I'm clearly not good with this and this isn't my thing, so why don't you do it?" Lisa shoved the list to Jennie's hands before stepping back; finally able to breathe now that she didn't have the brunette's dark locks tickling the side of her face.

"Gladly."

Lisa had no idea what her wife was planning for dinner, but it seemed interesting. She watched as Jennie stopped for strawberries a few feet away with her elbows on top of the cart handle and her face propped up on her hands. Jennie seemed absorbed with inspecting each and every type of produce that they needed. Everytime the brunette found something slightly wrong with the product, she'd put it back.

Her lips formed into a warm smile. Who would have thought that Jennie could be so domesticated? She was sure that only a few people had seen this side of Jennie before.

Lisa's eyebrow formed into a crease when she realized that she wasn't the only one witnessing this side of Jennie anymore. A tall, skinny, probably a model woman was standing next to her wife. It seemed that they were talking and brown eyes narrowed as Jennie laughed at what the other woman said. She couldn't hear what they were discussing about, but her wife was holding a strawberry in each of her hands as if she was explaining something. Model woman was listening intently, and _too_ closely, Lisa was sure she wasn't even really listening.

Jennie was actually explaining to the other woman the recipe that she would be following for tonight's dinner. The stranger seemed nice, and she was feeling a bit chipper herself, so she gave her tips on how to make Stuff Roasted Strawberries. Just as she finished with the recipe, she felt the burning glare on the side of her head that caused her to turn.

Wifey wasn't looking too happy.

Clearing her throat, Jennie turned to the woman and excused herself. She seemed disappointed but the actress couldn't really care less. With a bag full of strawberries, she walked back to where Lisa was, and placed the bag on their cart.

Lisa was still glaring.

"What?" Jennie asked innocently.

Lisa rolled her eyes before she started pushing the cart again. Away from skinny tall woman who was still staring at Jennie.

"I'm just being polite." The brunette followed.

"Sure." The blonde mumbled.

"I just answered her questions."

"What did she ask you, your number?"

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." Jennie chuckled, poking Lisa on the waist. When Lisa turned her head with a warning look, the actress refrained from teasing her.

"I'm not."

"It's not my fault that your wife is too hot to resist, babe." Jennie winked at her playfully.

"I just don't want people to think that you're going back to your old ways. We've worked so hard on building your new image and I don't want to put it to waste."

"I will never go back to my old ways." Jennie sounded genuine. If someone told her before that she'd be saying that, she would have laughed. But since Lisa came into her life, she slowly forgot everything that was her former lifestyle.

Lisa continued pushing the cart without bothering to respond.

Jennie grabbed her by the arm and forced the blonde to stop. With a sigh, Lisa spun around to face Jennie.

"See this ring?" The actress lifted her left hand that had her wedding ring. "It has an inscription inside. It says 'Lalisa'. Not 'random beautiful swimsuit model girl'." She tried to joke, but the writer did not find it funny as she remained looking back with that unreadable expression.

When Lisa did not reply, Jennie continued.

"Okay, that wasn't the correct thing to say."

"She was flirting with you."

"Really? I didn't even notice."

"Anyone who has eyes would."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I'm not even interested in her like that. So, don't be jealous now, okay?"

"I'm really _not_ jealous. I'm just doing my part."

"Part?" Jennie asked curiously.

"Of the contract." Lisa made sure to lower her voice so that no one would hear. "We agreed to help each other out. Have you forgotten?"

The sudden tension was undeniable.

Jennie's jaw clenched before she managed to get an answer out.

"I haven't."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie was busy mincing some rosemary leaf and parsley leaves in the kitchen island while Lisa sat watching at the dining table, unconsciously staring at the brunette who was moving expertly around their kitchen.

For the nth time that day, Lisa's mind drifted back to their kiss. It was amazing. No type of self-control would have stopped her from kissing Jennie that night. She remembered every breath, every swipe of tongue, every touch; the touches that sent shivers through her spine. Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps.

And that scared her.

She could think of so many reasons why she shouldn't let her attraction for Jennie get any deeper; their contract, first and foremost. When she signed that contract, it was to get the house back, nothing else. The last thing she needed was an affair that would complicate everything else. Besides, the marriage was about to end in a few months anyway.

She still believed that she was only getting carried away by the whole marriage thing.

"Hey, why don't you make yourself useful?"

Jennie's soft voice broke her reverie. Lisa looked up, and was met by the brunette's dimpled smile. The tension was gone. Good. The blonde got up from her seat and joined her wife at the island. She sat on the stool opposite her.

"Okay. What do you want me to do?" Lisa smiled back.

"I need these green onions finely chopped."

"I can do that." The blonde gathered the onions in front of her.

"I hope so." Jennie joked.

"Hey!" Lisa grabbed a small, uncut lemon and threw it at Jennie's direction. The actress was hit on the chest and she just laughed.

"Just kidding." Jennie was still laughing that infectious laugh of hers.

"So, what is this for?" Lisa picked up a knife and proceeded to chop the onions.

"Potato gratins."

"And that?" The writer pointed to the greens Jennie was mincing.

"Baked shrimp scampi."

"Hmm, sounds fancy."

"That's because _it is_ fancy."

They fell into a comfortable silence.

"So, we have this annual thing…" Jennie spoke again, her eyes still focused on what she was doing.

"Thing?"

"A new year's eve party with my siblings and our childhood friends at the family ranch, in Valencia… Uhm… I was wondering if- would you like to come with me, or-?"

"Are you inviting me to go with you?"

"Well, we are married and it would be weird if I'd left you alone on our first New Year's eve together. Besides, I don't really want to go if you don't want to go." Jennie sounded uncharacteristically shy. She didn't even try to look up and see the blonde's reaction.

Lisa smiled.

"I'd love to."

Jennie smiled, still feeling the blonde's eyes on her.

"Hey." Lisa called.

"What?" Jennie tried to hide the smile on her lips.

"I like this side you."

The actress did not say anything back. She had no idea what to say. She wasn't even sure what 'side' Lisa was talking about, but her words brought out a bashful smile on her face. And that rarely happens.

Lisa then found herself thinking of other things that she liked about Jennie.

Jennie loved to read but her vision wasn't perfect anymore and she had to wear those contacts all the time. But at home, she preferred wearing those black rimmed eyeglasses of hers that made her look like a certified dork. That's how she imagined Jennie, had her wife continued with her medical education.She liked the dorky look.

She'd bet everybody thought Jennie always wore a sexy nightgown in bed. Truth is, Jennie loved her pajama shorts and her big shirts. And then there's that onesie with spaceships from Taehyung that she liked to wear.

Lisa liked the toddler look. It was endearing.

When Jennie's dreaming in her sleep, she'd scrunch her nose. Okay, so Lisa had only slept with Jennie once in the wholesome kind of way. But that's what she had observed as she opened her eyes to an already sleeping Jennie after she pretended to be asleep. The spooning thing _might_ have been intentional on the blonde's part.

Shortly stated, she liked the cute way that Jennie slept.

And then there's that beautiful, dark, long hair that smelled like heaven. Lisa could only sigh.

Jennie's dimpled smile.

Her raspy voice that seemed to seduce Lisa everytime.

Her expressive cat-shaped brown eyes.

Jennie's wonderful laugh.

Even the scowl was something that Lisa was getting used to.

And of course, there are those-

"Oww!" Lisa suddenly released the knife as she felt the sting on her other hand. Before she could even look at what happened, Jennie was already on her side, wrapping a tissue around her left index finger that she accidentally slashed while she had been daydreaming.

"Come here. Let's get it cleaned up. I don't want it to get infected." Jennie pulled Lisa to the sink while she kept holding her hand.

"Whatever you say, doctor."

Somehow, that made Jennie blush.

"What were you thinking, Lili?"

"Nothing, I swear." Lisa could already feel herself blushing as she replied, sounding defensive. Fortunately, the brunette did not seem to notice as she was too busy examining Lisa's injury.

Jennie peeled the tissue that she wrapped around the gash. She inspected Lisa's wound for a few seconds before pulling it under the sink. She washed the wound with soap and after rinsing, Jennie led Lisa to the living room, sat her on the couch and told her to stay put. The blonde watched in curiosity as her wife ran upstairs to her bedroom and when she got back, she had some bandages and alcohol with her.

"We only have alcohol. This is going to burn a bit." The actress carefully placed her wife's injured hand on her lap.

"Just do it." Lisa closed her eyes. When she felt the sting of the alcohol on her skin, she let out a hiss.

Jennie winced at seeing Lisa's reaction. When the alcohol dried, Jennie lightly wrapped some bandages around Lisa's cut. Making sure that it was secure enough not to fall off, she set her sight back up to the blonde's face. She looked absolutely worried.

"Try to be careful next time, okay?"

"I was careful."

"If this is you being careful then I don't want you to cook anymore."

"But I-"

"Don't argue with me."

Jennie didn't sound bossy. She just sounded worried and concerned. Thankfully, there wasn't any serious damage on Lisa's hand, but she still felt guilty even if it wasn't really her fault. She unconsciously caressed the side of Lisa's injured finger and before she could stop herself, she had already lifted the blonde's hand and placed a gentle kiss on top of her bandaged wound.

Lisa totally blushed.

So did Jennie.

When Jennie looked up and found Lisa staring, she couldn't seem to turn away. She didn't even realize how close their faces were until now; too close that she could hear the blonde's breathing. But true to Jennie's nature, she immediately averted her eyes, although she realized it would have been safer if she hadn't as she found herself staring at Lisa's slightly parted lips instead.

"I've got to, uh…" Jennie failed at sentences, her eyes still fixed on Lisa's lips.

"What?" Lisa breathed out.

"I… uhm… kitchen." It took a lot of energy for a stuttering Jennie to pull herself away from Lisa and from the couch. She walked back to the kitchen area and washed her hands so she could continue with her dinner preparations while Lisa stayed in the living room, watching.

As soon as she was far from Lisa and wasn't touching the blonde's hand, Jennie let out the deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding. They never had a real conversation about the make-out session they had and now she was thinking of kissing her wife again. Lisa was fast to use the red wine as an excuse for making out with her, but now, they were both sober and Jennie was sure that if she didn't pull herself away from the writer for another second, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from stealing a kiss from her again.

What would have been their excuse this time?

Jennie was brought out of her trance when she heard her phone ringing with Jisoo's ring tone. Her friend was still in Canada with Tzuyu. Tzuyu was filming a TV movie and JIsoo tagged along for a breath of fresh air. She picked up her iPhone from the far end of the kitchen island and answered with a big smile.

"Hey, baby girl…"

Lisa heard Jennie as the brunette answered her phone, and she knew exactly who she was talking to.

See, _that's_ another reason why she was keeping distance.

Not only was Jennie a heartbreaker before she married Lisa. She was also heartbroken over her bestfriend, Jisoo. Jennie wanted to marry JIsoo. She cried because of her and for god's sake, Lisa was there to witness that and it wasn't too long ago. Thinking about the brunette designer always made Lisa feel like an outsider, regardless of JIsoo's feelings for Sehun.

This situation was all fucked-up. And Lisa felt caught in the middle of it.

_Better not get tangled with emotional attachments if you didn't want to get hurt._

With a sigh, Lisa got up from the couch and headed to her bedroom upstairs to change. It was getting late and Sehun would be arriving any moment.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa and Jennie were setting the table when the brunette came up with one stupid idea: for Lisa to pretend like she was going to vomit when she kicks her on the foot after dinner.

The blonde wasn't sure whether to laugh or be mad. Jennie inviting Sehun to dinner at their house was suspicious enough already.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Stop asking questions and do as I say."

"That's just so… wrong. I don't see the purpose and Sehun would probably think I'm pregnant." Lisa frowned at the strange proposition.

"Good. That's what I want."

"Why?" The blonde arched an eyebrow.

"Just to remind him that you're married. TO ME." The brunette emphasized by pointing her two index fingers to herself.

"And you're telling me I'm the jealous one." Lisa just had to roll her eyes at that.

"I'm just trying to protect our pretend-marriage here. Sehun seemed so intent on trying to win you and I can't let that happen." Jennie looked serious but her eyes shone with mischief.

"You're being paranoid." Lisa walked away from the table as soon as she was done. Her wife was starting to annoy her and she didn't want her mood to be ruined.

"And you're so dense." The brunette followed Lisa to the living room.

"I don't want to lie to him." Lisa slouched on the couch, looking up to Jennie who stood opposite her.

"You're not going to lie. You'll just act like you're going to puke. I mean, you were so good at that when we first met on the plane." Jennie cringed at the reminder of her first encounter with the

blonde.

"You're not going to stop pestering me 'til I say yes, are you?" Brown eyes narrowed at the brunette.

"Uh-huh."

"You're a pain in the ass."

"We could go all day doing this, you know." Jennie crossed her arms.

"You can't possibly be _that_ good to knock me up."

"Oh, I AM good. Wanna see how good?" The actress grinned, wiggling her eyebrows at the blonde.

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Lisa pretended to gag.

"We'll just let him assume anything that he wants. But if he asks, we'll tell him that we've been trying IVF." The brunette spoke as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

"I don't want to." Lisa was unyielding.

"I'll say it then."

"I don't really want to be on the news again."

"You won't. It's just for Sehun."

"No. I don't want to do it." Lisa got up from the couch with a plan to escape to the pool area and when Jennie attempted to follow, she turned with a warning glare. "Don't even think about it."

Jennie sighed as she watched Lisa exiting the sliding door.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Dinner with Sehun Oh was weird.

Jennie acting like she wasn't herself was weirder.

"We just got married so my wife can't do much." Jennie said, smiling too sweetly. The brunette had never been the chatty type and tonight she had been the one leading the conversation. Also, she was acting as if she actually didn't hate Sehun.

"Everything is good. Don't worry about it." Sehun smiled back.

All of them got up from the dining table after they finished dinner.

"Jennie prepared everything. I didn't do anything at all." Lisa smiled.

"Honey, you're being modest."

Jennie turned her attention back to Sehun. The businessman had been gracious the whole evening but the tension was obvious with the way he avoided staring too long at the couple in front of him.

"My wife has improved a lot already. Right, honey?" Jennie wrapped an arm around Lisa's waist and pulled her closer. They were walking to the living room to enjoy more conversation over some red wine.

The term of endearment and the sweetness coating it made the blonde blush, but she was apprehensive as to the motives, at the same time.

"The house has a different feel inside than what it looks outside." Sehun said. Before Lisa could answer (she was barely able to talk the whole evening because of Jennie who kept answering every question for her), Jennie beat her to it.

"It does, doesn't it? My father-in-law designed and built this house. My wife has so many memories here. This is where she grew up, did you know that? Ah, a very special place for both of us now and our future children. We even had the baby room set up already."

Lisa's eyes almost bulged out of its sockets. She threw a questioning look at her wife that went unanswered.

"We plan to have a lot of babies. Two boys and two girls." Jennie grinned. More because of the images of twins Minho and Ella playing in her head.

Sehun was walking ahead of them, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants. His eyes were drawn to something that was on the living room wall: Jennie and Lisa's huge wedding photo.

Lisa elbowed Jennie on the side that got the brunette silently wincing in pain.

"What's up with you? You're so childish." The blonde whispered.

"Why am I childish?" Jennie whispered back.

"Why do you keep calling me 'honey'?"

"Would you have preferred 'baby' or 'sweetheart'? You know, we never really discussed the terms of endearment, darling." Jennie grinned at her.

"You're giving me goosebumps."

"The good kind, I hope." Then the brunette winked at her wife before leaving her behind as she walked towards Sehun who was now standing in front of their wedding photo. Lisa was left staring at Jennie, open-mouthed.

"That's our wedding picture. Isn't it nice?" Jennie tried not to sound too smug.

"Yes, it is. You look great together." Sehun replied, sounding sincere with the compliment.

"Her nostrils look huge in that picture." Lisa huffed from behind them, her arms crossed.

"What? No they don't." Jennie said indignantly, unconsciously touching her nose.

"I think I have to go now." He turned to face the couple. A smiled graced his lips but it did not reach his eyes.

"You're leaving already?" Lisa asked, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Duty calls. I left some unfinished work at the office."

"You're still working at this time of the night?" Lisa looked at him in disbelief.

"I tend to stay late most days. Jennie can attest to that. There's really nothing else to do at home. It's not like there's anyone waiting for me." He looked despondent as his eyes met Lisa's.

Jennie grimaced at the interaction between Lisa and Sehun. When she cleared her throat, too loudly not to be mentioned, Sehun snapped out of his trance and veered his eyes away from the blonde.

"Thanks for inviting me today, Jennie." Sehun then shifted his gaze to the door. "I'll see you in the office, Lisa."

As soon Sehun turned his back on the couple to head for the door, Jennie kicked Lisa's foot, but Lisa wouldn't fake to vomit. The brunette tried again but Lisa was resolute not to do what Jennie asked her to. Since Lisa wouldn't do it, and Sehun was already near the front door, Jennie improvised. She let out the fake vomiting sounds. When Sehun turned back around, a look of concern and curiosity in his expression, Jennie immediately pulled Lisa into her arms.

"Honey, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"It wasn't- uhmf!" Lisa protested but was cut off with a short kiss from Jennie.

That caused the blonde to feel a bit lightheaded. When Jennie pulled away, Lisa found it hard to form any kind of sentence.

"Oh my god." Jennie's eyes twinkled, and the reaction confused Lisa.

"What?" Lisa felt her cheeks blush at the gravelly sound of her voice.

"Babe, are you pregnant?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe that's it! You've been complaining about feeling nauseous in the morning. The IVF worked! Oh my god, this is a great day for us!" The brunette showered her wife with kisses all over her face.

Lisa's eyes widened when she was reminded of Jennie's earlier scheme, knocking her back to her senses.

"We're going to be parents now! Oh, wow, we'll finally have little Minho and Ella running around the house! Our family is complete! I want them to have your eyes. Your eyes are so beautiful, sweetheart. I can't wait to be called 'mama'. I'm so excited. Honey, I love you! I love you so much!" Jennie hugged Lisa so tight, the blonde could barely breathe.

"But-" Lisa was totally flustered by all the 'affection' Jennie was giving her.

"I'm insanely happy. We should tell Grandma soon. Sehun, did you hear that? My wife is pregnant!" Jennie beamed with happiness.

"Yes, congratulations." Sehun smiled at his friend, looking truly happy for her, but feeling something inside him break. The scene before him was causing him to feel something he thought he'd never feel; a mix of longing, grief, jealousy.

"Thanks." Jennie ran a hand over Lisa's abs. "It's moving." She leaned, placing a soft kiss for their 'baby', causing the blonde to blush.

"I really should go now. Again, congratulations."

With that, Sehun was out of the door. As soon as they heard his car sped away, Lisa pulled herself out of Jennie's grasp.

"What was that?" The writer crossed her arms, a questioning look focused at brunette.

"What was what?"

"What happened to letting him assume whatever? Sehun totally thinks I'm pregnant now! You practically told him that!"

"So? What's wrong with that?" Jennie did not bother to hide the triumphant smirk on her face.

"Are you serious?" Brown eyes narrowed dangerously at the indifference her wife was showing.

"I don't understand why you're so mad. So what if Sehun thinks you're pregnant? It's just Sehun." Jennie shrugged.

"Well, for one that's not true because I am not pregnant. I don't really want to give anyone the wrong idea." Lisa explained in frustration. It was going to be really hard to explain her belly not getting bigger.

"We're married. People shouldn't have a problem with it if we're pregnant."

"We're married ON paper. In four months, all of this is going to be over."

Jennie's forehead creased.

"What?" The brunette did not seem to immediately comprehend what Lisa had just said.

"Our contract is expiring in four months, Jennie. Or have you forgotten? After that, you'll be free to pursue Jisoo and I'm free to do whatever I want. It's none of your business if I wanted to go pursue someone that I like. So, let's not get too comfortable about this whole set-up, okay?" The last part brought a sting into Lisa's own heart, but she managed to not let it show.

Jennie was at a loss for words. When her eyes tried to find Lisa again, she didn't realize she was already in the dining room, cleaning up the table. The brunette followed her.

"I thought you didn't like Sehun." Her voice slightly trembled, the part where Lisa said 'pursue someone that I like' stuck out to her, completely missing the part where the blonde said something about pursuing Jisoo.

"I don't know. Maybe I do like him. And if that's the case, it's not my problem that you still have a sore spot for him because of Jisoo." Lisa brought the plates to the dishwasher. Of course she didn't like Sehun like that and had told Jennie about this before. She was just trying to get her point across.

"I didn't even say anything about Chu."

"You didn't have to." This time, Lisa was picking up the rest of the cutlery while Jennie continued staring at her.

The short silence was deafening and all of a sudden awkward.

Something was bugging Jennie and she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Are you, uh, are you giving him a chance? I mean, after we get a divorce." That was the softest her voice had sounded. As much as she wanted to know the answer, Jennie was dreading it as well.

She had never been so nervous waiting for an answer to a simple question.

"I'm not closing my doors." Lisa answered. After placing the dishes into the dishwasher, she climbed upstairs to change.

Jennie was left staring into a space, feeling something twist in her stomach.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Ever since Lisa mentioned about their contract ending in the next four months, Jennie just couldn't get it out of her head. And that's exactly the reason why she sneaked into Lisa's bedroom that morning, looking for the blonde's copy of their contract. The writer was busy writing downstairs so she took the opportunity.

"Where the hell did you hide it, Lili?" Jennie whispered to herself as she tiptoed inside Lisa's bedroom. She had already checked the drawers of the blonde's bedside table but she wasn't able to find what she was looking for. The contract wasn't under the bed either. The brunette looked around for a possible hiding place and her eyes fell on the in-wall closet.

_Bingo._

Convinced that she'd find the contract in the closet, the brunette marched to the other side of the room with a purpose. Slowly and carefully so as not to make any sound, she opened the closet door.

She groaned upon seeing tons of clothes.

Jennie started with the drawers at the bottom. The first turned out to be the underwear drawer.

Her cheeks turned so red at the sight of the black, lacy lingerie. She was tempted to touch them but she managed to forcibly shut her eyes and slammed the drawer close. She silently hoped it didn't make so much sound.

The second just contained some scarves and she found nothing hidden underneath.

The third just had Lisa's socks.

Before she could open the fourth and last drawer, she heard footsteps.

Footsteps that were getting nearer.

_Damn it!_

Jennie panicked. Lisa was coming upstairs and she had no way out. She thought of the window, but the idea of breaking her feet into three different places wasn't that appealing. And that wasn't going to be easy to explain to Taehyung or anyone. Time was ticking and the blonde was sure to enter the room any second now.

Jennie had to think fast.

Just as the door to the room opened, the brunette had jumped into the in-wall closet, pulling its door closed behind her, and holding on tightly to the inside handle. She held her breath as the footsteps entered the room.

There wasn't much sound for a moment. Jennie strained her ears to figure out whether the blonde was still inside or had already left. Lisa was humming, making her smile.

Lisa was humming to Train's 'Marry Me'; one of the songs that Jimin played during their wedding.

Then there were the footsteps again and brown eyes widened upon realizing where they had stopped.

In front of the in-wall closet.

Jennie almost shrieked when she felt the door being pulled open.

On the other side of the closet door, Lisa stood in nothing but her underwear and frowned when the door wouldn't budge. The blonde tried opening it again. But unknown to her, as she pulled it open, Jennie pulled back, making sure it stayed close.

"What's wrong with this, why isn't it opening?" Lisa said to herself, apparently annoyed. She tried to jerk it open again, but it still didn't work.

_Crap, she's so strong._

Jennie felt the beads of sweat trickling the side of her forehead. She had never anticipated this game of tug of war with Lisa, but she always thought she'd win any game against the blonde. Her assumptions were being proven wrong right at that moment.

When Lisa gave the door one forceful yank, Jennie was thrown down the wooden floor, causing the blonde to yelp in surprise. She ran back to the bed and snatched the blanket, covering herself.

"Oh my gosh! What were you doing in there!" Lisa's hand grasped tightly onto the blanket that was now covering her front.

"Surprise!" Jennie was running all possible excuses that she could use as got up on her feet, massaging the part of her arm that hit the floor first.

"Get out of there! Pervert!" The writer threw one of her pillows at Jennie's direction.

"Hey!" Jennie managed to avoid the first pillow, but not the second that got her square in the face. "Oomph! Lili, stop that!"

"What are you doing in my room!" Lisa ran out of pillows to throw, so she just fixed her wife a glare this time.

"I wasn't trying to get a peek, okay? I was trying to look for the contract."

"What?"

"Let's rewrite our contract." Jennie was still wincing from her fall.

"What's your _bright_ idea this time?" Lisa narrowed her eyes.

"The first one has too many loopholes. So let's rewrite it with detailed terms, okay?" The brunette stated as a matter of fact.

Lisa paused in contemplation for a moment. The first contract only had a few provisions. They were easy to remember, and Jennie was right, the terms were too ambiguous. Also, she was thinking of adding some new provisions that should have been in the first contract.

"You have a point." The blonde finally agreed.

"I'll meet you downstairs in ten." Jennie grinned.

"You want to rewrite it now?"

"Yeah. Give me your terms and I'll give mine. Just like old times." Jennie skipped out of the bedroom, looking too chirpy for Lisa's liking.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Let's hear your terms first." Jennie said.

The two were in the dining room, sitting opposite each other with pieces of papers on their hands. Lisa handed the brunette a few pages of hers.

"Hey, how many pages is this?" Jennie looked up at the blonde in disbelief. They were like four or five pages.

"I had to be thorough. First, no one can demand physical intimacy. You're getting a bit too handsy these days."

"I have to in front of other people or else they are not going to believe that we're a legit couple. I'm not exactly known to be conservative." That sounded more like a whine than rationalization.

"Second, we have to tell each other where we're going if we're going out."

"Okay."

"Third, specify the time of return and disclose the reason why if we're going to be late."

"You're the one who keeps disappearing without telling me where you're going."

"Fourth, failure to do so would require a fine of a $100."

"$100?" Jennie arched an eyebrow.

"You have a problem with that?"

"No, it's fine with me. It's you I'm worried about. Make sure you can pay up." The brunette looked so smug with the grin on her face.

"Fifth, when Lisa is busy or tired to do house chores, Jennie will do them instead."

"What!" Jennie scrambled to read that provision in her copy.

"It's only fair. I mean, you live here too and you're the one who thrashes the house most of the time anyway."

"But I object!"

"Shut up, Jennie. Sixth, if we're meeting some potential future girlfriend, or boyfriend or girlfriend on my part, we also have to tell each other. This is not to intrude on our privacy, but just to avoid any mishaps since people think we're married."

"I think it's safer if we _don't_ meet up with prospective girlfriends or _burf-friends_ , honey."

"Seventh-"

Jennie was already getting impatient with the number of terms Lisa had decided to include in their new contract.

"Let's say I heard all of your terms already. Here's mine."

She handed a piece of paper to Lisa, whose jaw dropped and eyes bulged in astonishment after reading the single term that Jennie had printed in there.

"Three years! Are you out of your mind? That's a long time!" The blonde protested.

"Well, that's my only term, so you have to accept it." Jennie leaned back against her chair, waiting for Lisa's consent to the new period of their contract.

"My youth will be withered away by then!"

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"A bit overdramatic, don't you think?"

"I don't agree with the extension. This is getting ridiculous." Lisa tossed her papers onto the table and crossed her arms.

"What would people say if we divorced in a year?"

"I don't care what they say. I can't agree to three years!" The blonde snarled at her infuriating wife.

"Fine. But think about my grandma, and my parents. What do you think they'd feel if we divorced after one year? Grandma would be heartbroken and devastated. What if she gets a heart attack? Would you be responsible for that?" The mischief playing in Jennie's eyes totally betrayed the innocent look on her face.

Jennie was mentally apologizing for using her grandmother to convince Lisa again.

"You're seriously using that card on me?"

"Is it working?" Jennie smirked.

"You're evil incarnate."

"I try." The brunette shrugged, the grin still playing on her lips.

Lisa sighed. Why did she even agree to rewrite the contract in the first place? She could just back out now and let the original contract stand, but what Jennie just said about her family was messing up with her brain.

"Two years." Lisa finally relented.

"What? But that's one year less."

"I know my math, okay? Two years or we're not doing this redraft at all." Lisa firmly said. The additional period was sure to create problems on her part. It was already hard enough to keep her feelings in check and to keep her distance. But she just couldn't beat the thought of disappointing grandma and Jennie's parents.

_Damn you, Jennie._

"Fine." Jennie grumbled.

After finalizing the redraft of their contract, Jennie and Lisa signed both their copies. The blonde went up to her room to hide her copy, while Jennie remained in the dining room, grinning stupidly at her own copy in her hands. When she was sure Lisa wasn't coming down anytime soon, she got up from her chair.

She totally did a victory dance.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: christmas with the Kims :)


	9. PRETENSIONS, TEMPTATIONS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s christmas!! shocked family, fluffy moments and jealousy ahead 😂😂 enjoy
> 
> I AM NOT THE AUTHOR OF THIS FIC

**The First Manoban-Kim Christmas**

Jennie and Lisa were used to how grandma got excited everytime they drop by to visit. Eunseo loved seeing them. But today was different. Today was the day before Christmas and grandma was acting _too_ excited.

Like over-the-top excited.

As in screaming-at-the-top-of-her-lungs excited.

As soon as the Manoban-Kim couple got out of Jennie's Range Rover, they found themselves in a chokehold; grandma's version of a 'hug'. Jennie took note not to mess with her grandma ever again because the old woman could probably win WWF and make John Cena cry in shame.

The 'hug' was fine. Jennie would have allowed her grandmother squeeze the life out of her, but it wasn't really the tight embrace that was knocking the air out of her chest. Hers and Lisa's faces were squished so closely together, she felt she couldn't breathe. Jennie's face felt warm due to the skin-to-skin contact (no matter how wholesome); she felt embarrassed just thinking about it. Thank god, the blonde did not have the space to turn her head and see how red Jennie's face was.

That was probably the reason why Jungkook and Yeji were laughing their ass off as they stood by the front door, watching them. The brunette tried glaring at them but that didn't really scare them the way she wanted; that just caused them to laugh even more.

Jennie rolled her eyes. Jungkook just waved with that stupid grin on his face. Yeji stood amused.

"Grandma…" The brunette called to her grandmother. Rather, that sounded more like a plea.

"You children must start living here. I have to see you everyday. I missed you too much!" Grandma reluctantly loosened her hold on Lisa and Jennie, to both of their relief.

"Grandma, we've talked about this before." Jennie whined. While she loved her family with all her heart, the thought of moving back home was mortifying for her. Not only would she have to see her grandmother 24/7 (she could only take so much), she would also have to act couply with Lisa 24/7.

Now, don't get it wrong. Jennie loved spending time with Lisa (that was obvious). The blonde didn't know this, but Jennie actually tried to get off guest appearances that would require her to be away from home longer than 24 hours for the simple reason that she'd miss the blonde writer. This, of course, raised eyebrows; Taehyung's and Joohyun's. But as soon as she gave them her one, true, honest reason (meaning, her wife Lisa), they stopped asking questions.

But the lines were already blurred enough as it was.

"You, my grandchild, is always too busy for your own good. Your wife needs someone to watch over her when you aren't around." Grandma chastised Jennie as she led them into the house.

"I think I can take care of myself, grandma. No need to worry about me." Lisa smiled at Eunseo as they followed her into the house.

"Hi, Lisa! It's nice to see you again." Yeji smiled at her sister-in-law as the three reached the door where she and her brother Jungkook had been waiting.

Jennie let go of her wife's hand so she could walk into her sister's open arms. She couldn't help but smile contentedly at Lisa's interaction with her siblings. The fact that they got along so well made her heart flutter.

"You too, Yeji." Lisa returned Yeji's smile. As soon as she pulled back from the youngest Kim's embrace, she had no time to prepare herself for Jungkook's bear hug.

Jennie giggled at this.

"Owww, Jungkook, you're crushing me." Lisa said in fake protest. She would have been believable if she wasn't laughing.

"We've been waiting for you guys for hours." Jungkook finally let go of the blonde and turned to hug his sister, who gladly jumped into his arms.

"I told you what time we were coming." Jennie replied.

"Yeah, but we couldn't wait to see you." Jungkook grinned.

The five of them reached the living room and found Jennie's parents sitting on the couch, beaming at them and looking as exhilarated as grandma was just a while ago.

They were elated to see them arrive, but it seemed that it was really just Lisa they were wound up to see as Jia made a beeline towards the blonde, completely forgetting who her real daughter was.

Something felt wrong.

"What's will all the excitement? It's just us." Jennie quirked an eyebrow at her brother.

"You seriously have to ask?" Jungkook was amused.

Jennie felt the weight around her shoulders as Yeji wrapped her arm around her.

"Congratulations, sis. I'm a bit pissed that you didn't tell me, but considering that you've never told anyone in the family yet, I'm letting you off the hook, but only this time. When the second one arrives, I get to know first." Yeji playfully warned the brunette. She pulled her arm back from her sister and joined her parents with that knowing smile on her face.

Jennie and Lisa looked more confused than ever.

"What is my granddaughter feeding you? You're too skinny." Grandma stepped back, looking over Lisa's frame.

Lisa stood uncomfortable under Eunseo's gaze. She couldn't be more thankful that Jennie was there, holding her hand. The actress gave her a reassuring squeeze, which she returned.

"Lisa, honey, if you have any cravings, don't hesitate to tell me." Dr. Kim piped in, giving the blonde that concerned, fatherly look.

"Cravings?" The blonde looked puzzled, prompting her father-in-law to continue.

"I'll make sure that Jennie gets you everything that you want. This wife of yours gave me a hard time when she was still in her mother's womb. Looking back, now I'm sure she gave me the hardest time." Dr. Kim said, playfully glaring at his eldest child.

Jennie's eyes bulged out.

"Oh." That was the only word that came out of Lisa's mouth after realizing what all the excitement was about. She let out a nervous laugh before turning her head to Jennie, who now stood frozen beside her.

Jennie's surprise, on the other hand, turned into annoyance as realization hit her.

_That tattle-tale Sehun._

He probably told his mom, and his mom probably told Jia. And of course, Jia told the whole family, and now everybody thought they were having a baby.

The problem now was breaking the news to the Kim family.

That would be tricky.

The brunette could already imagine the look on her grandmother's face.

She felt her stomach clench just at the thought of it.

Then she felt her wife's hand tugging at her own.

Jennie’s eyes looked up to meet Lisa’s and a silent conversation passed between them.

Jennie let out a deep sigh.

"Yeah, about that-"

"When are you due?" Yeji cut her sister off before Jennie could finish.

"I wish it's a boy." Jia said before Lisa or Jennie could answer.

Jennie opened her mouth, but this time, it was her father to interrupt.

"I wish it's a girl." Dr. Kim grinned.

"I wish you'd have twins." Eunseo said.

"Grandma, it's not like they can choose." Jungkook laughed.

"Guys!" Jennie screamed in frustration, stilling everybody in the living room.

Her parents exchanged confused looks.

Yeji stared agape.

Jungkook stood intrigued.

Grandma's eyes narrowed.

Jennie and Lisa were both looking everywhere else except the Kim family members.

The actress finally cleared her throat. There was no way around it now. Their marriage was more than enough lie to last them a lifetime. That alone was turning her world upside down already. They just couldn't continue to lie about the pregnancy.

"I think you got it all wrong." Jennie spoke softly, she was barely heard.

The expressions on her siblings' faces showed recognition. It seemed that her parents also had the same realization with the way Jennie was speaking, although they seemed to be in some sort of denial. Grandma's face was hard to read, but it was obvious she could tell she wasn't going to like what her granddaughter was about to say.

"We, uh… thought that, you know…" Jennie looked at everybody, trying to hide her nerves.

A comforting squeeze of her hand by her wife encouraged her to continue.

"Lili's not pregnant."

There was silence. Jennie felt the stare of her family members.

"We thought we were having a baby. There were the symptoms, but we went to our doctor and, well, it turned out it was false alarm." Jennie continued, hoping that the truth would dispel the awkwardness in the room. She hated disappointing them but she had to know the truth now.

A few seconds of silence passed until Yeji spoke up, breaking the ice.

"Well, that was a little bit anti-climactic."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you." Jennie replied in apology.

"I guess you would have told us personally if you two were having a baby." Dr. Kim sighed, looking disappointed but forcing an amused smile. Thinking about it, Jennie would have let them know first if they really were pregnant.

"We just got so excited that we're having a mini JenLisa in the family that we were so quick to jump into assumptions." Yeji shrugged it off with a smile.

"JenLisa?" Jennie quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"It's short for Jennie and Lisa." The youngest Kim answered.

"It's cute." Lisa smiled.

"You know, I'm suddenly not feeling well. Will you please excuse me?" Grandma turned around, heading for her bedroom without waiting for any response.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Jia asked her mother-in-law.

"I'll be fine."

Jennie and Lisa exchanged looks. Obviously, someone wasn't taking the news very lightly.

"Well, someone's got to do some damage control." Jungkook turned his eyes to his elder sister, who just glared back at him.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Sehun didn't have the right to just tell people! If you were really pregnant and he told my parents before we even could, I'm gonna make sure that he's never going to be able to talk about anything ever again!" Jennie hurled her bag on the bed as they entered her bedroom.

It turned out, Jennie's deduction was right. Sehun did tell his mom, his mom congratulated Jennie's mom, and now, the entire Kim family knew.

To say she was angry was an understatement.

What if they were really having a baby?

"He's an ass. Your boss is a fucking asshole and I'm going to make sure that he knows that as soon as I see him at Nayeon's New Year's Eve party!" Jennie threw herself on the bed, screaming her lungs out to release her rage.

The brunette wanted to strangle someone.

Lisa stood watching her, forcing to hide the smile that was threatening to form on her lips. This wasn't supposed to be a funny situation but she felt like smiling.

Strangely, angry Jennie was also sort of a turn-on.

Lisa cleared her head of the sudden dirty thoughts.

"What are we going to do now? I don't want grandma to hate me." Lisa walked to the closet and placed her bag near it. She couldn't forget the unreadable expression on Eunseo's face.

"She doesn't hate you."

"We should talk to her."

"You talk to her. You're like her favorite now."

"What am I going to say?"

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Grandma, don't be sad." Lisa finally broke the silence.

She was in grandma's room, sitting on the vanity chair a few feet away from the old woman who was sitting on her bed. Eunseo let her in without questions, but the lack of conversation was killing her already.

"I'm not sad." Eunseo replied. Somehow she sounded like Jennie.

"You don't have to lie to me. I can see you're both sad and disappointed."

Grandma did not say anything back. She just stared on the floor. So, Lisa continued.

"I don't know what to say except we're sorry. When we thought I was really pregnant, we couldn't wait to tell you, but we had to confirm first."

Still, the blonde did not get any reaction from grandma. She sighed. The old woman was being a little bit too sensitive about this, but she understood her desire to have great grandchildren. Eunseo might look strong, but she was older than she looked. If you stared closely, you'd notice the lines on her forehead, she was a bit slow in her movements; all indications that the Kim matriarch wasn't getting any younger.

"I've gone into a few sessions with our doctor, but I was told that we might have a hard time conceiving considering the stress in my work." Lisa cringed inside as she spoke the lie she weaved with her wife. She felt so guilty lying to grandma's face.

"Who's your doctor?" The old woman became a bit more responsive.

"Uhm… Bhuwakul?"

The blonde mentally facepalmed at the name. She and Jennie did not really come up with their 'doctor's' name, and Bambam's name just crossed her mind first.

"Dr. Bhuwakul." Lisa repeated, more to convince herself than grandma. She was never a good liar. She purposely avoided Eunseo's eyes everytime she had to tell a lie, afraid that actually staring back at those chocolate brown eyes would get her caught.

"I've never heard of that name before." Eunseo's eyebrows creased as she tried to recall if she knew someone of that name. She did meet many doctors through her son.

"His surname's not very common, I guess." Lisa said, trying to sound casual.

"He’s from somewhere in Africa, I suppose?"

"He’s Thai, actually."

Eunseo looked at her strangely. Lisa would have explained Bam's ancestry but it would seem weird to know that much about her 'doctor'. Lisa would have answered the question with another lie, but the truth came out of her mouth automatically.

"Maybe you should talk with Hoojin. He has friends."

"Actually grandma, Jennie and I decided to put off the in-vitro fertilization for a while." Lisa replied timidly, afraid that she would disappoint grandma even more.

Lisa waned at the look grandma was giving her.

"Do you not want to have children?"

"Of course we do, but… grandma, please don't be sad. We'll have children in the future, but we just got married. We both realized that we might be jumping into things too fast, and right now we just wanted to make the most of our alone time together."

Grandma was murmuring something to herself and Lisa couldn't figure them out. She was starting to shut Lisa out again and so, the blonde continued with her long explanation.

"Believe me, there's going to be a lot of room for Minho and Ella in the future."

That certainly perked up grandma, because now, the corner of Eunseo's lips was threatening to tug up into a smile.

"You're considering the names that I gave Jennie?"

"Grandma, I love them." Lisa smiled. "Especially Ella."

Finally, the oldest Kim let the smile play on her lips. The silence the lingered thereafter was more comforting than it was before. Grandma seemed to be lost in thoughts. There was still that smile on her face, but the sadness was still there.

"I'm old, Lisa. What if I don't have enough time to see my great grandchildren?" Grandma voiced out her concerns.

"Grandma, you're probably going to outlive every one of us." Lisa joked.

Eunseo laughed at that. As in the loud, ha-ha-ha, booming kind of laugh. The blonde laughed with her. When their laughter died down, Lisa continued.

"I love being with Jennie, grandma." In this whole conversation, this was the most truthful Lisa had ever been.

"That, I can tell."

"She gets into my nerves most of the time, and she can be annoying as hell. But she's caring and thoughtful, and it's such a bonus that she's extremely good-looking as well." Lisa grinned.

"Sounds exactly like my Jennie."

"I want to spend a little bit more time making her feel that she's all that matters to me." Lisa's mind flashed back to their extended contract. She recalled her reaction to Jennie's only term and she realized that she didn't really raise that much protest. She was actually happy that she got more time with her, before they set each other free to pursue whoever they wanted.

That felt bittersweet, but nevertheless made her smile. She had more time.

"If we have a baby now, then, I wouldn't be able to give my wife my undivided attention anymore. I'd love our children as much as I love her, but you know how children are. They need time, they need attention. For now, I want to give them all to Jennie. Jennie's my only baby for now. I hope that's alright with you."

Lisa didn't get an answer. Instead, grandma got up from the bed and walked towards her. She leaned down and wrapped her arms lightly around the blonde with a big smile on her face.

"I am so glad my granddaughter met you."

"Me too, grandma."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

To make up for disappointing grandma, Lisa volunteered to help her and Jia in preparing their Christmas Eve dinner. Sure, the Kims were rich, you'd assume they'd have their own chef cooking their everyday meal, but they actually lived a simple life. A pair of cleaning ladies comes in thrice a week because the house was too big for the Kim women to clean, but aside from that, they didn't indulge in much luxury despite owning the biggest hospital in Valencia.

Admittedly not a great cook, Eunseo just allowed her granddaughter-in-law to participate by chopping up some of the ingredients for what they would be cooking. It felt nice spending time like this with her in-laws. They talked about random things, whatever strikes their fancy, and right now, they were talking about Lisa's favorite subject in the world: Jennie.

"Jennie wasn't a crier when she was a baby. She was always this tough girl, nothing could ever make her cry. Everytime she fought with Jungkook, it was him who would end up crying." Eunseo eagerly told Lisa, who couldn't help but laugh at the new information that she got.

"Mother, I don't think Jungkook would appreciate that." Jia said, but she was actually smiling.

"Oh, but it's the truth. But when Jennie did cry, she wailed. She's a wailer." Grandma continued. "She wouldn't stop. She'd cry the whole day. You couldn't bribe her with anything. She'd only stop wailing whenever she felt like it."

"That's my Jennie, alright." Lisa was still laughing, then blushed when she realized what she just said.

"So you better not make her cry." Grandma playfully warned her.

"I won't."

"I wouldn't know how to make her stop."

"Well, what if she's the one who makes me cry?" The question came out before the blonde could stop herself. When she looked up at her in-laws, both stared bewildered at her. "It's just a hypothetical question." Lisa shrugged, trying to sound more casual.

"Honey, let me tell you something." Jia looked at her earnestly. "Jennie has been in so many relationships, I can never remember most of them. But what I remember is that I've never seen my daughter so happy with anyone else. You, Lisa, placed that smile on Jennie's face, and she'd never smiled that much in her life. You make her so happy, I don't think she'd risk making you cry. Believe me. I'm her mother."

"And if she does, I'll make sure to hit her with this chair to knock some sense back into her." Grandma turned a comforting smile at the blonde.

Lisa returned the smile.

"Who are you hitting with a chair now and… Lili! What are you doing, babe?" Jennie was just entering the kitchen when she found Lisa chopping some veggies. She rushed to her wife's side, carefully snatching the knife away in the process.

Lisa sat surprised while Jia and Eunseo looked at her weirdly.

"You're not supposed to cook anymore." Jennie said, slightly sounding irritated as she occupied the chair next to Lisa and took over what her wife was previously doing.

"I wasn't cooking. I told grandma I wanted to help and-"

"Let me do this. Why don't you just help Yeji and Jungkook? They are in the living room packing some additional toys for the children tomorrow."

Jennie had already discussed with Lisa about the annual Christmas thing that her family does for the hospital children. They'd been playing Santa for sick children in their hospital ever since she could remember, but without the Santa outfit, of course. As her father said, it was their way of giving back to the townsfolk of Valencia.

"You're banishing me from the kitchen? You can't keep me away from knives forever, you know." Lisa was amused.

"I'm trying to make sure you don't lose any of your fingers, babe." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Jennie felt embarrassed at how she must have sounded.

Crap. Lesbians and their fingers.

Jennie wished that the floor would open and just swallow her at that moment.

Jia coughed, but it was obvious she was just trying to mask a chuckle.

Eunseo pretended to be focusing on the chopping of her own.

The blonde's cheeks and ears were beet red.

So was Jennie's.

"I'll, uh… I'll be in the living room." Lisa sprinted out of the kitchen.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"So, what did you do to get you thrown out of the kitchen?"

Lisa looked up to meet her brother-in-law's inquisitive dark eyes. Just as instructed, she joined Jungkook and Yeji in the living to pack up some of the additional toys for the hospital children that came in late that day.

"Nothing. Jennie was just paranoid."

"About what?" Yeji asked this time.

Both the girls were sitting on the floor while Jungkook sat on the couch. He was arranging the paper bags of toys on a box, while the girls were placing each of the toys on color-coded paper bags.

"I injured myself in the kitchen once." Lisa shrugged.

Jungkook and Yeji exchanged smiles.

"I've never seen Jennie so protective before. Where have you been all this time? I always thought there was no one in this world who could actually tame my sister, but here you are." Jungkook remarked.

Lisa didn't know what to say to that so she just smiled. She never said anything to anyone about it, but everytime Jennie got so protective of her, her heart fluttered, which made it even harder for her. She had built these walls around her, but everytime she add a brick, Jennie would just knock down two. Everytime Jennie would successfully put a smile on Lisa's face, the blonde felt her walls crumble.

"So, why does it seem like grandma's cooking for the whole neighborhood?" Lisa asked curiously. The food in the kitchen was too much for just their family, and Jennie did not mention if they had relatives coming. The brunette would have said something if she had to meet more members of the Kim clan, wouldn't she?

"Oh, Yoon comes over with his family for Christmas eve dinner every year. It's another of our traditions." Yeji said.

"Who's Yoon?" The blonde's eyebrows creased. She'd never heard of Yoon before.

"He's dad's bestfriend. You know, Chungha's father." Jungkook answered.

Brown eyes narrowed as it locked on him.

"Chungha?"

Jungkook's eyes widened in realization. Jennie obviously had never told Lisa about Chungha beforehand. When he looked helplessly at Yeji, the youngest Kim just gave him a look saying 'you are in deep shit'.

"Uh… I got to-"

"Jungkook?" Lisa's tone was so scary, Jungkook was forced to sit down again before he could dash out of the house.

Damn, the blonde could even be scarier than his sister if she wanted to.

"For a boy, you have such a big mouth." Yeji rolled her eyes at her brother.

"What, I just assumed Jennie had already told her since they are married and Lisa's going to meet her tonight anyway! And what's the big deal, it's the past." Jungkook tried to reason with Yeji, who just looked annoyed.

Lisa had her arms crossed, waiting expectantly for Jungkook to enlighten her.

"Jennie's going to kill me." Jungkook pleaded with Lisa.

"I'll make sure she doesn't do that. Now, is there something that I'm supposed to know about this Chungha?" Lisa quirked an eyebrow at her brother-in-law.

Jungkook squirmed under the blonde's gaze.

"Well, Chungha is sort of… Jennie's first, you know… girlfriend."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"So grandma, uhm, what did you and Lili talk about?" Jennie tried to sound nonchalant when she asked her grandmother.

The three Kim women were still working in the kitchen.

"Wouldn't you want to know?" Grandma grinned knowingly at her grandchild. Jia just listened as she continued with her task.

"Grandma, come on." The brunette whined, sounding utterly impatient. She really wanted to know what Lisa said to her grandmother.

"Say please." Grandma taunted Jennie, just for fun.

"Seriously?"

Eunseo laughed at Jennie's face.

"You're lucky she loves you." Eunseo added, without really answering Jennie's question.

"She told you that?" There was a glimmer in Jennie's eyes that grandma didn't miss.

"She didn't have to say it. But with all those things she said about you, I have no doubt about it." Eunseo laughed. "She did marry you." Grandma teased.

"So… what did she say?" Jennie prodded further.

"You really aren't going to leave me alone until you got something, aren't you?"

"You know me too well."

Grandma ceased what she was doing and stared at nothing as if she was contemplating about what she was going to tell her granddaughter. Then she smiled.

"I'll give you two words."

"Only two?" Jennie frowned.

"Extremely good-looking." Grandma wiggled her eyebrows at Jennie, which had been funny if not creepy.

Jennie blushed at Lisa's compliment.

She tried to divert the attention away from her red face.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you with the baby news, grandma. We would have told you first if it were true."

"I still wish that you'd give me my great grandchildren soon, but when Lisa told me that you're her only baby for now, then I thought that I could wait a while. I understand why you'd want to wait."

Jennie felt a flurry of emotions when she heard that.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa knew she wasn't supposed to care about Jennie's ex-girlfriends. She never told her wife about her own exes, and personally she didn't think they'd matter because they were just parts of her past but somehow, she was hoping that Jennie would say something about Chungha. Was it too much to mention? She still should have known, right? A heads-up would have been fine since they'd have to spend Christmas eve dinner with the ex and her family.

Dinner time came and the Kim family arrived just on time. They were Florida-based now. Lisa met Dr. Kim's bestfriend, Yoonsung Kim. He was also a doctor; a cardiologist to be exact. His wife was Hyejin. Lisa also met their four children, Yerim, 17, Jungwoo, 21, Hanbin, 23 and the eldest, Chungha, 25. When Chungha went to give Jennie a hug, she flinched, no matter how friendly it was.

Chungha Kim looked like she could be some famous Kpop idol. In addition to her looks, she also had only one year to finish med school and was bound to become a brilliant doctor.

That certainly didn't help ease the uneasy feeling that started to build inside Lisa's stomach since she first heard the name Chungha earlier that day.

Lisa had been quiet the whole dinner, but she tried to act normal.

Jennie noticed how the blonde was acting different, so she held her hand throughout dinner. That got her a smile from the blonde, but it didn't last long.

"Honey, is something wrong?" Jennie leaned closer to her and whispered.

"I'm fine." Lisa forced a smile.

She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way. It was familiar. It was like the way she felt when she saw Jennie talking to that swimsuit model when they were shopping for grocery at the Pavilions. Only one word came close to describe what it was: jealousy. But to define it as that would force her to acknowledge the feelings that she had been trying to fight. She wasn't that keen on crossing that street alone. Sure, Jennie was caring and all that, but she could hardly tell how the brunette felt about her now. They made out, but they hadn't really discussed it.

Truth was, she was afraid.

Lisa was petrified.

That was the reason why she avoided talking about it at all cost. She felt a tingle everytime they kissed, but what if it wasn't like that for Jennie?

She didn't want to find out.

Lisa did not notice the worried glances that Jennie kept throwing her way.

Jennie could tell that something was bothering her wife, but couldn't think of what it could possibly be. The blonde seemed to enjoy her family's company and the sudden change of mood was unexpected.

"Are you sure?" Jennie asked again.

"Yeah."

Jennie tugged at Lisa's hand harder, obliging her attention.

"Lili?" Jennie's tone was demanding as she leaned even closer to the blonde.

When Lisa looked up and her eyes locked with Jennie's, she tried to read them, to search for something, for answers to the questions that she formulated in her mind. She found concern. Then she mentally berated herself for actually believing she'd know how the brunette felt through her eyes. What made Chaeyoung think that Jennie was so in love with her? How about Jia? Other people could see the 'love' in their eyes, but why couldn't she?

"Baby, I'm okay."

It didn't look like Jennie believed her one bit, but the brunette dropped it at once. Instead, she intertwined her right hand softly with Lisa's right and continued eating only with her left hand. She gave the blonde a smile once in a while that Lisa returned.

After dinner, the drinking began. Dr. Kim opened his bar to everyone and the 'children' bonded by the poolside at the back of the house. The pool house was also stocked with alcohol and there was a bar outside. Excited to test out Jungwoo's new alcohol-mixing skills, Yeji dragged Lisa with her.

Jennie was reluctant to let Lisa go, but allowed her wife to bond with her sister and the Kim siblings. They were good friends of her, and she figured Lisa needed to relax anyway. Her and Chungha stayed close by the pool, catching up.

"And this is for you, Lisa."

Lisa barely heard the male voice. She wouldn't have taken her eyes off Jennie and Chungha who were chatting a few feet away from them if it wasn't for Yeji elbowing her.

"What?"

"Your drink." Yeji gestured at the glass of a colorful liquid that Chungha's brother Jungwoo was handing her.

Lisa reached for the glass and smiled gratefully at Jungwoo.

"What do you call this?" She asked curiously

”The Jungwoo Kim Experience." Jungwoo grinned. Everybody started laughing, including Lisa.

"That sounded dirty." Jungkook commented.

"Exactly the way I wanted it to sound." Jungwoo winked playfully at Lisa, who winked back.

Lisa decided to pry her attention away from Jennie and just enjoy this bonding moment with her in-laws and the other Kims. They all seemed nice.

"Careful. You don't want my sister to catch you." Jungkook warned Jungwoo. It was a joke.

"Hey, it's not my fault your sister-in-law is flirting back. You can't really blame the Jungwoo charm, right Lisa?" Jungwoo laughed.

Lisa took a sip of her drink first, humming in approval at the taste of it before answering.

"You're a dashing young man, Jungwoo." Lisa said.

Jungwoo hollered in glee. Yerim, the youngest of her siblings, rolled her eyes at her brother. She almost threw the bottle of Coke at him.

"Really mature, Jungwoo. I'm sure Lisa's just trying not to hurt your feelings."

Lisa snickered at Yerim's comment. Her eyes snapped back towards Jennie's direction when she saw movement in the corner of her eyes. Chungha was touching her wife's arm. She felt something inside her flare.

"Well, why don't we ask her then?" Jungwoo challenged.

"Brother, I think Lisa doesn't play in your league." Hanbin gave his brother a patronizing tap.

"No no, I heard she's bisexual." Jungwoo said.

That certainly got Lisa's attention back again.

"What?"

Jungwoo shut his mouth, not sure if he just crossed a line. He barely knew his friend's wife and wasn't really intending to offend her with the label or anything.

"You _read_ about me?"

"Well, Jennie's my friend and when I heard she got married, I was curious to find out about you. I'm sorry, did I-"

"People actually bother to write about me?"

"There were a few. And you're often mentioned in articles about Jennie. You mean you haven't read any articles that were written about you?" Yeji looked astounded.

"Uhm, no." Lisa took a large gulp of her drink. She was embarrassed and curious and mortified.

"They were saying you dated that Kpop idol Ten in highschool." Jungkook said, but it sounded more like a question.

"What? I haven't even met him. And I don't think we even went to the same school." Lisa took another gulp of her drink. As soon as she finished it, Jungwoo handed her another glass.

"Hollywood." Jungkook and Hanbin said at the same time. Laughing it off, they raised both their glasses for a toast.

Meanwhile, Jennie barely understood what Chungha was talking about. Just a while ago, she felt that familiar gaze burning a hole at the back of her head. She could swear she felt Lisa glaring at her, but when she turned, the blonde was busy discussing something with Jungwoo.

Her head was turned towards the bar by the pool house, and her eyes focused on her wife who seemed to have an animated conversation with the Kims and her siblings. She felt the urge to join her and just wrap her arms around her wife. The touch on her forearm snapped her from her momentary daze.

"She doesn't seem to like me very much." Chungha said before sipping from her flute of champagne. It was obvious who she was talking about.

"Lili?"

"Is that how you call her?" Chungha smiled fondly.

"Yeah."

"I tried striking up a conversation with her, but I felt like she didn't really want to talk to me." The tall brunette playfully narrowed her eyes at her ex.

"I'm sorry. Maybe it's because you're a stranger to her."

"I don't think that's why." Chungha remarked knowingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you tell her about us?"

"No. Why?" Jennie frowned.

"I think she knows."

"There's no way."

"But she's jealous."

"Really?"

"She wouldn't be giving me those dagger looks if she wasn't. Is she the jealous type?"

"I don't know. It upsets her that I talk to random beautiful women, but… She has met Tzuyu before and they got along well. I didn't want to ruin her mood so I didn't tell her about you."

"Someone else probably did. And she's staring at us again." Chungha took a large swig of her drink and darted her eyes away.

Jennie snapped her head back, but before her eyes could meet Lisa's, her wife had shifted her attention back to Jungwoo again. She noticed Lisa was holding a new glass-full of alcohol.

Back at the bar by the pool house, relieved that he didn't hit a nerve, Jungwoo continued with their playful repartee.

"So, if you weren't married, would you date me?" Jungwoo, apparently not afraid of Jennie's retribution if she ever found out about this, asked Lisa curiously.

"What?" Lisa winced. She heard the question, she just wasn't sure if Jungwoo was serious.

"Jungwoo, will you stop hitting on Lisa?" Yerim threw her empty can of Coke at her brother which hit him square in the chest.

"Oww! I'm not hitting on her. I'm just asking a what-if question." Jungwoo massaged the part of his chest that was hit by the can. Damn, that can could hurt a person if thrown with just enough speed. Unfortunately for him, his sister has enough arm-power to crack his skull with an empty Coke can, being an all-star lacrosse and squash player. Thank God Yerim did not bother to learn taekwondo.

"I don't know if I would date you." Lisa looked apologetic, not wanting to offend her new friend.

"Why not?" Jungwoo asked, his ego severely bruised.

"Told you. You don't stand a chance." Hanbin teased his brother.

"First, you're too young and second, you're not really my type." Lisa shrugged.

"What is your type?" Jungwoo prodded.

Yeji and Yerim rolled their eyes at the same time.

"That is the most stupid question I've ever heard. Seriously, did you not see the ring she's wearing on her finger?" Yeji puckered her eyebrows at Jungwoo.

"It's okay. I'll answer that." Lisa took another swig of her drink, and turned her eyes at Jennie's direction.

Her eyes stayed there as she spoke again.

"My type would have long, silky raven hair. She would have dark, expressive, brown eyes. She'd have soft, plump lips that would make me want to kiss her for hours. A deep, raspy voice that never sounded sexier in the morning…" Lisa finally turned her gaze back to her companions who were staring at her with their jaws on the ground.

Lisa grinned.

"Oh, I also would prefer if she's a Hollywood movie star with killer abs and six tattoos on her body." The blonde added, just for fun.

"Wow, your type is definitely one of a kind." Hanbin smiled at Lisa.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Cheers to that, sister-in-law." Jungkook raised his glass to Lisa, and the blonde obliged him.

"Cheers."

"Wait, Jennie has six tattoos?" Jungwoo stared open-mouthed at Lisa. He seemed to be thinking, and when his eyes darted towards Jennie's direction, Lisa got up from her seat, immediately blocking her wife from view.

Doe eyes narrowed at Jungwoo. Lisa knew just what Jungwoo was thinking. He was probably thinking where the sixth tattoo was.

"Don't even think about it." Lisa warned.

"But-"

"You'd stop talking right now if you want to go home with all of your limbs."

Jungkook, Yeji, Yerim and Hanbin started laughing so loud at the fear that crossed Jungwoo's face. Lisa had never sounded so scary and Jungwoo probably never thought the blonde was capable of such thing. But just to be sure he could come home with complete hands and feet (and balls), he forced his eyes away from Jennie. Lisa sat back down, keeping an eye on Jungwoo.

The laughter caught both Jennie and Chungha's attention. When the brunette made her way towards the pool house, Chungha followed.

Lisa was surprised at the pair of arms that suddenly wrapped around her from behind, but as soon as she felt the locks of soft hair brushed the side of her face, and the familiar smell of almond and honey hit her senses, she knew immediately who it was.

"What are you guys laughing at?" Jennie said softly.

Jungwoo turned to look at Jennie but after seeing Lisa glaring at him, he darted his eyes away. Yeji snickered when she caught it.

"Oh, nothing." Lisa answered. She was feeling a little bit tipsy after her second glass of 'The Jungwoo Kim Experience'. To Jungwoo's credit, it was really good.

"What are you drinking, babe?" Jennie, without moving from her position behind Lisa, grabbed the blonde's hand holding her glass and pulled the glass to her lips for a taste. "Are you trying to get my wife drunk, Kim?" Jennie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Jungwoo.

"Oh god, I'm going to die here, aren't I?" Jungwoo looked fearfully at Jennie.

Then Jennie burst out laughing. Everybody followed. Jungwoo's face flushed bright red.

"I'm joking Jungwoo. Got to learn how to take a joke sometimes." The actress winked at her younger friend. Lisa's drink didn't taste that strong. She just wanted to pull Jungwoo's chains.

"Yeah, whatever. You two are so meant for each other." Jungwoo scowled at Jennie.

"You got that right." Jennie smiled before turning her attention back to Lisa. "Baby, I'm really tired so I'm gonna go to bed."

For everybody else, it sounded like an invitation for Lisa.

Hanbin wiggled his eyebrows at Jungwoo, who tried not to react. Yeji and Jungkook preferred to block their ears and tuned out their sister's voice. They loved her and Lisa but they didn't need to know anything more. Yerim was doing the same except that she was blushing in embarrassment that she had to hear it. Chungha was watching everybody's reaction in amusement.

For Jennie, it was an excuse to go to sleep first before Lisa to avoid another awkward make-out session that could lead to something more because she just couldn't resist being near Lisa without touching her, but if there was something to ever happen between them (she wasn't totally dismissing that possibility, maybe after she could sort out her own feelings), it wasn't going to be in her parents' house. Not with every member of her family near.

And for Lisa, well, it was only now that she was reminded that she was sharing the bed with Jennie again and she couldn't help but fear she wouldn't be able to resist touching her. Invitation or not, she couldn't go to bed with an awake Jennie.

"Can I stay longer? I haven't had much fun like this since… I can't even remember." Lisa said.

"Okay. Come up when you're sleepy. Don't get too drunk." Jennie smiled. When she leaned down to kiss Lisa on her cheek, she was surprised when pale, cold hands grabbed her face and angled her lips straight into Lisa's.

It was a weird angle considering her position from behind Lisa, but that didn't stop Jennie from kissing back. There was a little bit of tongue action involved that Jennie had a hard time suppressing a moan. Thank god Lisa pulled away before Jennie could embarrass herself.

"Goodnight, Lili." Jennie whispered in her wife's ear, before walking into the house with a goofy grin on her face.

Lisa was smirking on her own, her glazed eyes flickered at Chungha for a brief second.

Chungha noticed. Amused, she couldn't help the chuckle that came out of her mouth.

_Definitely jealous._

The Kim house was still buzzing with life as the small party thrown by Jennie's parents went on beyond midnight. Minutes had passed since the brunette had isolated herself in her bathroom, mainly to let her wife bond with her family and, to get herself away from her super-friendly ex-girlfriend. Chungha was nice and fun to talk with, but she was naturally charming, and Lisa obviously wasn't taking the harmless flirting lightly. So, in order to not embarrass her ex and hurt Lisa, Jennie just decided to remove herself from the situation, thus, the late night bath.

Soaked chest-deep in the tub, Jennie got cozy with a glass of red wine, the soft sound of sweet music playing in her iPod, and the scent of a dozen candles permeating the room. Her head rested comfortably on one end of the tub, her eyes closed as she hummed along with Adele, belting out one of her famous songs. The hot, bubbly and foamy water was refreshing and utterly relaxing.

She was too lost in her own world to notice the sound of the door, or the sound of light, deliberate steps taken towards her.

She also failed to realize that she wasn't alone anymore.

It took a minute before Jennie felt someone watching her. When she opened her eyes, she was barely able to suppress a surprised yelp when she saw the intense pair of brown eyes staring back at her.

Lisa was knelt down by the tub, her arms resting on the side, and she was leaning too closely into Jennie's personal space.

Jennie gulped.

They held their gaze, not one word said as the staring match lasted a few minutes. Jennie was flushed, not only because of the hot water, but because of how close her wife was, and the fact that she wasn't wearing anything under the bubbled water.

She cleared her throat.

"I'm uh, I'm going to be finished in a few minutes if you want to use the bathroom. You-"

"I don't."

"Lili-" Her voice was barely audible as she breathed her name out.

"Shhh..." Lisa lifted her right index finger, and when it made contact with Jennie's lips, there was a gasp.

Neither of them was sure from whose mouth it came out.

Jennie sat frozen on the tub; her movement restricted. Brown eyes were still locked intently on her and it was making her squirm. The finger still on her lips, a gesture for her to shut up, wasn't helping at all.

"Are you drunk?" Jennie asked as she noticed the glaze on Lisa's eyes. She was a little embarrassed at how husky her voice sounded. They were barely touching but Lisa was making her feel all sorts of things, and it was a miracle that she managed to keep her hands on her side.

Her eyes shut involuntarily when she felt warm breath hit her right ear as Lisa leaned closer and whispered.

"Just had a few shots with Jungkook and Yeji." Pink lips ghosted over Jennie's earlobe, causing a shiver.

Jennie's hands closed into fists, trying to control herself from acting on the sudden surge of feelings. But her wife wasn't making it any easier for her as her finger started tracing the outline of her lips.

"Oh, and your first girlfriend. _No big deal_." The blonde tried to sound casual, but the bite in her tone was too hard to miss. It had been bothering Lisa all night. If Chungha was Jennie's first girlfriend, did that mean that she was also Jennie's first _everything_? She was too busy mulling about how special Chungha must have been to notice the look of surprise on Jennie's face.

All the while, Jennie thought she had successfully avoided the 'ex thing', but obviously, somebody opened their mouth. Jennie thought of possible suspects, but her musing was cut short when Lisa's finger that was on Jennie's lips started slipping downwards, slowly, torturously, tracing her jaw line. Apparently not content, the blonde's long finger made its way down her neck, trailing even lower.

"Why didn't you tell me about Chungha?" She husked.

Jennie opened her eyes, but decided against turning her head; afraid of the contact that a little movement could cause. The blonde's finger was playfully drawing circles on top of her chest, dangerously reaching underwater level. She could barely breathe.

"She's just my ex, Lili." The brunette's voice trembled.

She didn't want to make it awkward for Lisa, that's why she didn't tell her about Chungha. Another reason was that she didn't want to upset her, the way she did when she talked to that swimsuit model when they were buying their groceries. If talking to a random woman distressed her wife what more when she saw her talking to an ex? She was trying to avoid that, but now that Lisa found out, this certainly wasn't the reaction she was expecting.

Not that she was complaining.

"Well, for an ex, she's way too… _friendly._ " Lisa's index finger continued its journey downwards, creating a blazing trail of fire on the valley of Jennie's breasts, down to her navel.

Brown eyes shut closed again as her breath hitched.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you about Chungha. I'll tell you all about my exes and talk about them outside just let me get-" Jennie's attempt to get out of this tormenting situation was immediately interrupted as Lisa's finger dug into the skin just below her belly button.

"Ooh…" Jennie whimpered, her face turning redder at how she sounded.

A predatory grin played on Lisa's lips.

"We can talk now. We can talk _here._ " The blonde lowered her voice to that sexy, sultry tone that got Jennie's eyeballs rolling to the back of her head.

Yeah, well, talking inside the bathroom wasn't going to work since Lisa's hand was totally distracting her. It was surprising really, that Jennie could still talk especially now that the finger on her navel was now a full hand, touching her abs.

Lisa purposely blew a warm puff of breath on her wife's ear, causing her body to jerk at the sensation.

The blonde's grin grew even wider at the reaction.

"No. Ugh, it's not… We really, should… I-I mean…"

Jennie was distracted again as Lisa's upper lip traced her earlobe.

"Talk." The actress tried to shook her brain from the cloud of lust that was now dominating her whole being. "I want to talk… when you're sober. And when I'm properly dressed if you don't mind." The brunette managed to choke out, albeit in a whisper. The way Lisa had been murmuring in her ear was causing a stir in her system. Even underwater, she felt the arousal pooling between her legs.

The blonde pulled back a bit to look at her.

Lisa's eyes blatantly stared, traveling downwards and locking on the bubbled water into the direction where her hand was still caressing defined abs. There was a glint in her eyes, and before Jennie could say anything, the hand made its way upwards.

"Oh, god…" Jennie breathed out, shakily.

She didn't stop the blonde. Jennie was too shocked to move, and was actually enjoying it far too much to do anything about it. The hand traced the trail previously created by her finger, teasingly making its way up, between the valley of Jennie's breasts, purposely avoiding them, and eventually wrapping itself at the back of the brunette's neck.

Jennie felt the tug as Lisa moved, pulling her closer, closing their distance.

Lisa, who obviously wasn't thinking straight, did the one thing that she wouldn't have done had she been without any alcohol in her system. Heck, she wouldn't have even dared to bother Jennie's privacy if she wasn't drunk.

The blonde seductively brushed her lips with Jennie's, who wasn't able to control the moan that came out involuntarily from her mouth as their lips connected. Lisa's lips were tempting her, urging her, seducing her.

Despite her inner struggles, she gave in.

Plump lips parted to welcome Lisa's exploring tongue. This kiss wasn't soft. It wasn't gentle. It wasn't like the kiss that they had when they first made out. It was untamed, primal even. Lisa was letting go of all her inhibitions and Jennie moaned in approval, her own tongue fervently meeting her wife's. As she allowed Lisa to deepen the kiss, her left hand tangled with blonde hair holding Lisa in place, while her right hand grabbed onto her wife's waist, with the blonde now hunched over the tub. It was all getting out of control, and Jennie was beginning to lose all sense of reason and could actually care less if the world ended that moment; all she felt was Lisa.

Being like this with Lisa felt like it was everything she ever wanted.

She was excited to feel more of her; to have more of her.

When they broke the kiss for air, Lisa, who seemed so fond of Jennie's ear, nibbled on the one that she had been teasing just minutes ago. She groaned upon feeling Jennie's hand under her shirt, kneading every part of skin that she found. Her hand was wet, but every touch was scorching.

Now, Jennie would have fainted when Lisa licked her ear and her wandering hand started rubbing her left breast.

If Lisa hadn't beat her to it.

Yup. Just when things were getting hotter and hotter, the blonde passed out.

"Baby?" It was a strange time to use the term of endearment, but Jennie wasn't exactly paying attention at the word that automatically came out of her mouth.

Lisa did not say anything back, but it was obvious what just happened since Jennie felt the weight of Lisa's upper body on her. The brunette was conflicted whether to feel relieved or frustrated. She was feeling both. Getting Lisa into bed was going to be tricky. She wasn't only naked and wet, she was also, well, _wet_.

Jennie sighed. One of her hands was still wrapped around Lisa's waist. Her other hand reached up to stroke blonde hair, unconsciously sniffing the lavender scent, as Lisa's head rested safely on the brunette's shoulder.

"Lili, what are you doing to me?"

There was another deep sigh.

_Way to be left turned on and frustrated._

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

The other side of the bed was cold and she was alone when Jennie woke up that Christmas morning. She was hoping she'd wake up first so she could stare at Lisa's face, but unfortunately, the blonde beat her to it. She wondered if her wife remembered. The first time they made out, Lisa used the wine as her excuse.

There was a sinking feeling in Jennie's stomach that it was about to happen again.

Lisa was alone drinking coffee on the breakfast counter when Jennie entered the kitchen. The blonde smiled at her and said greeted her good morning so casually as if nothing happened. Her eyes were focused on the TV which was switched on to MTV as she sipped on her cup of coffee.

Jennie poured herself a cup and joined the blonde on the table. She took the seat next to her.

"Lili…"

"Do you want some toast?" Lisa offered her plate to Jennie.

Jennie just shook her head no. She just wanted to talk about what happened but the blonde wasn't making it easy for her. She had been struggling with so many feelings lately, and all those feelings had something to do with the tall blonde who was sitting next to her right now. One thing was for sure though; she liked Lisa. She could feel that she was starting to like her too much. But the feelings that she had, those were the kind of feelings she'd never felt before, for anyone. So it was kind of new to her. It was undefined and it scared her. And then last night happened.

What would have happened if Lisa didn't pass out? Had they taken it too far, would Lisa regret it? Would she? They had to talk about it. They had to figure it out together. But they wouldn't be able to if Lisa wouldn't even discuss it with her.

"About last night…" Jennie fiddled with her hands nervously.

"Yeah, about that. I'm sorry I got drunk. I don't even remember how I got into bed." Lisa lied.

Walls. Lisa was building her walls back up.

"Oh. Uhm, you don't remember?" Jennie tried not to sound disappointed.

"No. Why? I didn't do anything stupid or embarrassing, did I?" Lisa feigned worry.

Jennie forced a chuckle.

"No, just… forget it." Jennie distracted herself by sipping on her cup of coffee. She was confused as to how she felt. Was she relieved that she had more time to figure her feelings out on her own, or was she actually disappointed that Lisa didn't remember?

Well, Jennie did remember one thing.

Chungha was right. Lisa didn't like her.

"Lili?"

"Hmm?"

"I should have told you about Chungha."

Lisa just shrugged.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. You're my wife. There are things that you're supposed to know so you don't get surprised. She was my first girlfriend. Her family is friends with ours, and it's kind of awkward, I know especially that she's kind of flirty but I swear, she's harmless. I'll make sure to stay away from her from now on."

Just then, Yeji who obviously had just woken up judging by her hair, followed by Jungkook, entered the kitchen. Jennie glared at them to get back out, but neither got her message. Jungkook and Yeji sat opposite the couple with their own cups of coffee. Yeji yawned and stretched while Jungkook stared at noting in particular.

"Honey, it's fine. You don't have to explain." Lisa said.

Jennie decided to just ignore her siblings. They were still probably half-asleep anyway.

"But I want to. I want you to know that you're the one that matters to me. Chungha's just someone from my past."

"Chungha was her first wife." Jungkook interjected.

"What?" Lisa's eyes widened. That certainly got her attention.

"What the fuck, Jungkook?" Jennie snapped at her brother.

"We were still children then. Chungha and I were supposed to be playing mom and dad, but Jennie didn't like the idea, so she forced me to play priest and I married them two in the backyard. I thought that was weird." Jungkook mumbled as he continued staring in space.

Lisa was visibly relieved.

"Wait a minute." Jennie looked suspiciously at him. "You told Lili about Chungha, didn't you?"

Jungkook just shrugged.

"He did." Yeji confirmed.

Jennie stared at Jungkook in disbelief.

"So, how many ex-girlfriends does she have?" Lisa asked Jungkook.

"You don't wanna know." He replied.

"You mean you're not going to tell me?"

"Hey, I don't want you to divorce my sister, so no." Jungkook shook his head frantically.

"You're not really helping." Jennie growled at her brother before turning her attention back to Lisa. "I swear, he's adopted. Lili, if you want to know all about my past relationships, I'll tell you. I just didn't think it's worth the time just because it's the past. That's where it's supposed to be."

Lisa did not say anything, so Jennie continued.

"I'm sorry, baby. Please, forgive me?"

"I wasn't really mad at you. I was just…"

_Jealous._

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Lili, just so you know, I wouldn't have 'married' Chungha if I'd already met you back then."

Lisa blushed.

"Awww." Yeji mocked her sister's sappiness, with emphasis, by holding the part of her chest where her heart was supposed to be.

"Whipped." Jungkook coughed.

"I am NOT whipped."

"Oh, you so are, sweetheart." The blonde teased Jennie.

"Do spill, sister-in-law." Jungkook, now fully awake, took a huge gulp of his coffee and focused his attention on Lisa.

"Babe, please don't." Jennie pleaded but her plea fell on deaf ears. Lisa just gave her that mischievous smile and started telling her siblings about the Disneyland incident.

Great, she was never going to live that down.

After the story, she was sure every Lion King mask would remind her siblings about her.

Thinking about it, she wasn't even sure why she went to Disneyland. Maybe Jungkook was right. She was whipped. She hadn't even slept with Lisa and she was whipped.

Whipped. As. Fuck.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It wasn't long before Jennie's parents and grandmother came down. The whole family gathered near the Christmas tree in the living room for their traditional annual gift-giving. Jennie had missed a few of these because of her misunderstanding with her father. The few times she attended were filled with tension and she never really enjoyed them. But this year was different.

She was actually really happy, her heart was about to burst.

Lisa and Jennie sat next to each other on the floor, with Yeji and Jungkook. The elders were on the couch.

Jennie and Lisa had given out gifts as a couple. So far, everybody loved what they got.

Lisa got a few interesting gifts. Let's just say Jungkook made both her and Jennie blush. Eunseo, on the other hand, had no time to buy a new gift to replace the maternity dress she originally bought for Lisa. That got the blonde blushing too. She decided to keep it for the future. She did promise grandma that Minho and Ella were a possibility. She also got some expensive ones, like the designer bag from Yeji, and the pair of earrings from her parents-in-law.

And now she was about to open what Jennie got her.

Lisa had never been so excited.

Jennie was nervous.

Lisa ripped the wrappings off Jennie's gift and her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she saw what was inside. It was actually the simplest gift she had received that day, but there was no doubt she liked it the most.

It was framed photo of her and Jennie. And the photo was something she had never seen before. She didn't even know Jennie took it, but she was very sure as to when it was taken.

It was the photo Jennie had taken of them spooning.

Jennie braced herself for what was to come.

Yeji leaned over to see why Lisa was rendered speechless and couldn't help the big smile on her face.

"Aww, you guys sleep like that? You're so adorable."

The elders also took a peek of the photo and smiled.

"I knew Lisa was the big spoon." Jungkook laughed.

Before Jennie could ask if Lisa liked her gift, a pair of lips connected with her own. The kiss was brief, but it was enough to make her heart beat faster than normal. She felt the pads of Lisa's fingers touch her cheek as she whispered against her lips.

"I love it." Lisa had a huge smile on her face as she pulled back from Jennie.

The brunette finally sat at ease.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Thank you, babe." Lisa reached for Jennie's hand and interlocked it with her own.

"Well, good. I'm glad you loved it. But, that isn't the only thing I got for you." Jennie pulled small box from behind her and handed it to Lisa.

"There's another one? But I only got you one gift." Lisa examined the small the box.

"You've given me more than enough. Open it, Lili." Jennie nudged the blonde.

So Lisa did. And Lisa's jaw dropped.

It was a key.

A car key.

"Jennie?"

"Do you want to see it?" Jennie looked excitedly at Lisa.

"But you didn't have-" Lisa didn't get to finish as Jennie pulled her up with her still intertwined hands. Jennie rushed to the door with the family trailing behind, knowing smiles on their faces.

Lisa was rendered speechless for the second time that day upon seeing the brand new car parked next to Jennie's Range Rover. It had a huge ribbon wrapped around it.

The car was a black 2020 Tesla Model Y

What, Jennie was a Hollywood superstar.

"Lili?"

"Why…"

"Your car is a piece of crap and it's pretty useless and it's probably going to burn down on its own one of these days." Jennie turned to face her wife, who was still staring open-mouthed at the new car. "I figured you needed a new ride."

"Jen, you didn't have to." Lisa turned to face Jennie as well. She had mixed feelings about it. Who wouldn't be thrilled to receive such an expensive car? But Jennie was going to give her house back after their contract ends. She didn't need to spend money to get her a car. The brunette had done so much for her. She had made her feel a part of a family again. And that was priceless.

"Well, I'll start filming Batwoman after New Year and I wouldn't be around much to pick you up from work."

"But it's too expensive."

"Who's complaining?" Jennie grinned.

"Jennie…"

"What?"

"You've done more than enough for me."

"Who's counting?"

Lisa spun around to look at the car again. Would that mean they'd be driving back to Eagle Rock separately? Also, that would mean she'd see less Jennie at her workplace. As she thought about it, the blonde started finding so many disadvantages to having her own car.

"Babe?"

"I don't want to drive back home separately." Lisa said honestly.

That sort of made Jennie's heart jump.

"We don't have to. I'll just ask the family driver to drive your car for us, is that okay?"

Lisa's face lit up.

"It's perfectly okay."

"Good. Now, why don't we go back inside and join my family to watch our old home movies?"

"Home movies?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you'd enjoy watching the videos of Jungkook running around our former house butt-naked."

"Eww, I'm not sure about that."

Jennie and Lisa were laughing as they settled with the family back in the living room.

The actress got her revenge on Jungkook. Her brother monopolized all of the embarrassing moments in their home videos and she didn't stop picking on him.

Jennie was an adorable little child and Lisa enjoyed watching her. Thank god for home movies, Lisa got to see this part of Jennie. She couldn't remember having enjoyed any other thing as much as this; lounging in the family living room with the Kims, with her head resting against her wife's, and Jennie's arm wrapped protectively around her.

Lisa didn't feel so alone anymore.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie warned her that the other Kim family would be joining them in their Santa mission at the hospital that afternoon. The brunette asked her if she'd be okay and Lisa said yes. She could be civil. Chungha was okay, but the way the other blonde unnecessarily reached out to touch her wife occasionally the previous night was affecting her judgment on her as a person. _Better keep her hands to herself, or else…_

"You okay there?"

Lisa jumped at the sound of the voice that came from behind her. She turned to see Hanbin Kim looking at her in concern. She felt embarrassed being caught staring at her wife who was talking with Chungha. Again.

"Yeah. I'm good."

Hanbin chuckled. Lisa's face was saying something else.

"They are talking about which hospital wing they'd take. Last I heard, the Yoonsung Team gets the east and the Hojin Team gets the west."

How the hell did Hanbin know that she was wondering about what those two were talking about?

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, Chungha's got a girlfriend that she's planning to propose to when she visits her on New Year. My sister isn't even supposed to be here but she wanted to ask for mom's family ring so she came here out of obligation. That was the condition."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Lisa, you aren't really that subtle hiding your jealousy." Hanbin broke to her. "Whatever Jennie had with Chungha is nothing compared to what she has with you right now. That's all you have to remember." Hanbin gave her a knowing smile before walking towards the east wing with a big box of gifts.

Lisa watched as Yerim and Jungwoo followed behind him.

Her eyebrows furrowed, thinking of Hanbin's words.

She spun around and saw Jennie and Chungha still talking. She then walked towards them, not really intending to stop. Lisa just intertwined their hands and pulled Jennie away from Chungha without so much of a word.

Jennie did not protest. She just mouthed a 'sorry' to Chungha who just smiled in amusement.

Lisa was totally jealous.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

All the Kims were partnered up and had almost visited each of rooms in the children's ward. Grandma had stayed home while Lisa and Jennie were at the last ward, talking to a 5 year old kid. Her name was Caden and Lisa was immediately taken by her as soon as they entered the room.

Caden had broken some bones on her feet and had undergone surgery to repair the damage. She was advised to stay in the hospital until after New Year. The kid seemed so happy when Jennie and Lisa came in. She was alone and her mother was still on her way back to the hospital. She immediately recognized Jennie and shrieked. The kid managed to calm down after a few minutes, though.

That happens.

"Can you stay with me until my mom arrives?" The puppy look Caden was giving them was more than enough to convince Lisa. The blonde child was hugging the big stuff toy they'd given her and she had that pout on her face that neither Jennie nor Lisa could resist.

"Okay, we'll stay." Lisa happily sat on the edge of Caden's bed while Jennie sat on the chair near them. The blonde brushed a stray hair out of the girl's face.

"Where's your baby?"

"What? What do you know about babies?" Jennie was stunned at the girl's question. Not exactly the one she was expecting.

"I saw you on TV. You looked so beautiful when you got married. Mom said that only those people who love each other get married and they have babies. Mom said that's why they had me, because she loves my dad and dad loves her. So, do you have a baby?" Caden looked innocently at Jennie, who just opened her mouth like a fish, but no words came out.

"Not yet. But we're gonna have one, just like you." Lisa answered for both of them, booping Caden's nose in the process.

"Can I meet them?"

"Of course. In the future." Lisa brushed Caden's hair with her hand.

"Yay! I can't wait." Caden gave them a toothy smile.

Both Jennie and Lisa laughed. Then Lisa felt something hit the side of her forehead. When she turned, Caden was holding something against her face. She pulled back a little to see mistletoe in the little girl's hand.

She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"You have to kiss!" Caden grinned.

"Where did you even get that?" Lisa asked in amusement.

Caden just shrugged.

"You want me to kiss you?" Lisa moved closer to give the girl a peck on the cheek but was pushed before her lips even touched skin. The blonde sat back, befuddled.

"You're supposed to kiss your wife." Caden pointed to Jennie.

"Her?" Lisa asked, just to confirm, totally indulging the child.

"Yup."

"Okay. How about you kiss me first, and then, I'll kiss her?" Lisa offered.

"Okay!" Caden then pulled Lisa by her sleeve and placed a wet, sloppy kiss on her right cheek. "Now you kiss her." The girl clapped in excitement.

Lisa and Jennie exchanged amused looks. When brown eyes darted back to the girl, Lisa found an eager looking pair of eyes staring back at her.

"Well, you heard her." Lisa told Jennie, who remained sitting on her chair.

"What?"

"Come here." Lisa beckoned the brunette to get closer. She didn't really feel like moving.

"You said you're going to kiss me, so why don't _you_ come over here?" Jennie grinned at her.

Lisa rolled her eyes.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yes, honey?"

"The mistletoe is here so you come here. Don't be so annoying."

"Are you picking up a fight with me in front of a child?" Jennie teased.

"Jennie?" The blonde looked stern and it was obvious she was losing her patience.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Jennie got up from her seat and took the step towards Lisa.

"Try to keep it PG."

"No need to warn me, babe." Jennie winked at the blonde. She leaned closer but as soon as her lips touched Lisa's, it was gone.

"That wasn't a kiss." Caden looked at Lisa, frowning.

"Yeah, that wasn't a kiss. I agree." Jennie looked inquisitively at her wife.

"There's a kid watching, what did you expect?" Lisa glared at the actress.

"I'm not a kid." Caden protested while crossing her arms.

"Did Jennie teach you that?" Lisa looked suspiciously at Jennie.

"What? No! I just met her."

"Why don't you want to kiss Jennie? Don't you love her?"

"Huh? That's… ugh, okay. I'll kiss her again if that's what you want."

"Yes!" Caden high-fived with Jennie.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at the two.

The thought that it might have been Jennie that gave Caden the mistletoe crossed her mind, but she immediately dismissed it. Sighing, she turned her head back towards Jennie and wet her dry lips. When she leaned closer to her, Jennie met her halfway.

The kiss lasted longer this time. It was wholesome, but just the same, it sent tingles through Lisa's skin. When they parted, she felt a little bit woozy, fortunately she was sitting on the edge of Caden's bed.

"I…" Lisa caught herself before she could finish that sentence.

Jennie looked at her intently, but Lisa did not continue.

"You what?"

"Nothing. I just… oh, hey, your mom's here." Lisa smiled as the woman who was undoubtedly Caden's mother entered the room. She got off the bed and introduced herself and Jennie.

She couldn't be more than thankful for the distraction.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It had been a long, fulfilling day. Christmas was almost over, and now as they retreated to Jennie's childhood bedroom, Lisa found herself dreading joining her wife in bed without any alcohol in her system.

Actually, she was dreading it either way since she couldn't seem the stop herself from wanting to kiss Jennie, drunk or not.

Jennie was placing some pillows on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"Maybe I should sleep on the floor." Jennie was dreading having to sleep beside Lisa as well. Kissing the blonde was becoming her addiction and she even used Caden to steal some more

kisses.

"You can't sleep on the floor. It's freezing."

"But-"

"Jennie, you're not sleeping on the floor." Lisa couldn't, with her conscience, allow her wife to suffer the coldness of the night on the floor. This was Jennie's parents' house, after all.

"Okay."

Jennie picked up her pillows and climbed into bed. Carefully.

"I promise not to do anything… stupid."

Lisa just smiled and laid down on her side, facing away from Jennie.

They switched off the lamps on their sides at the same time.

It was already 1:00 a.m. and Lisa found herself still widely awake and facing Jennie's back. She had been watching and listening at the brunette's steady breathing for hours now.

She had been thinking of yesterday. Of what happened the previous night. Of the way she felt being with the Kim family. Of everything that had been happening.

All those efforts to fight her feelings. All those distance that she kept between them. All those reasons she held on to justify why she shouldn't. Those just weren't enough.

She could feel her walls starting to crumble.

But she was losing her fight to keep it together.

Jennie was just… Jennie. She was proving to be the opposite of everything she originally thought she was.

Ignoring her mind's protests, Lisa scooted closer towards Jennie. Gently, she snaked her right arm over the brunette's waist, letting it fall on top of her wife's abs. She tenderly pulled her closer, making sure not to wake her up. Jennie's back molded against her front, and it felt like they were one. The blonde nuzzled Jennie's neck, indulging herself with the sudden assault of Jennie's scent on her senses. Just like her kisses, it was addictive.

"Goodnight, honey. I can't wait to wake up to you tomorrow." Lisa whispered against Jennie's neck.

She was falling, hard, and no matter how hard she tried, there was just no way of stopping it. There was just nothing that she could do. Maybe she should just let it be.

She totally missed the way Jennie's lips formed into a contented smile.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: nayeon’s annual nye party and... let’s just call it the beginning of the end


	10. NEW YEAR'S EVE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m not sure what the hits mean but wooow there’s over a thousand that’s craaazy!! a few more chapters left :)
> 
> please remember that i’m not the author!!

**The Annual Nayeon Im NYE Party**

A pair of brown eyes fluttered open to a head of blonde hair.

Rays of the early morning sun were starting to creep in through the slightly parted curtains covering the bedroom windows on her wife's side, casting a silhouette glow as the light hit the back of Lisa's head. It created the illusion of a halo framing the blonde's face.

Her wife looked like an angel, slumbering peacefully on her side, facing her.

A small smile played on her lips.

The sound of a contented sigh broke the silence of the morning.

They were still in her parents' house in Valencia, in her bedroom; the room that the two of them had been staying in since Christmas. It was going to be their last morning together before they move to the family ranch a few miles away to meet with her childhood friends for Nayeon's annual New Year bash.

Sure, they'd still be sharing a bed in the ranch, but it was a reminder that the holidays were about to be over which only meant one thing. She and Lisa would be retreating back to their own bedrooms, in their own beds, as soon as they got back to Eagle Rock, back to the real world.

Somehow, she felt like she didn't even want to go back there.

Jennie was lying on her side, facing her wife. It was too early for her to be awake, but it didn't matter that she wasn't used to waking up earlier than 7 a.m. All that mattered was waking up ahead of Lisa so she could stare at her face. She was familiar with every curve of the blonde's face by now. Sometimes, her wife even snored faintly. And that made cutting her sleep short all worth it.

It hadn't been easy keeping her hands to herself lately. During dinner, her hand always found Lisa's. Her wife never said anything about it despite having a hard time eating with one hand. That also happened everytime they were taking a walk. Or when they'd join grandma in the couch to watch her favorite Korean drama (that made her gagged everytime), Jennie always found herself leaning too close to Lisa.

The urge to touch her wife was getting a little bit hard to control, just as she was feeling now.

Her fingertips were about to brush against the skin of Lisa's face when the blonde stirred, causing Jennie to pull her hand back. Her wife was waking up and she didn't want to get caught staring, so brown eyes shut closed and Jennie remained still. She felt the movements on Lisa's side of the bed. She almost smiled as she imagined the blonde stretching her limbs and yawning adorably, in an attempt to jolt herself awake.

Yes, Lisa did that.

Every morning.

And every morning, Jennie adored it.

Lisa had followed a ritual every morning that they'd slept in the same bed together. And Jennie was more excited of what Lisa was going to do next. So she tried her best pretending that she was still asleep. The movements on her side ceased, and she could feel doe eyes on her.

Lisa was staring at her.

Jennie waited for those particularly soft pair of lips touch the skin on her forehead, but it was taking too long than it normally did. Just when she thought she wasn't getting her 'secret morning kiss' this time, she felt as Lisa moved, closing the distance between their faces. Their foreheads rested against each other, their noses touching. Their lips were separated by a mere centimeter, or maybe less.

She wondered if the blonde could feel her heart beating frantically against her chest, and it almost jumped out as she felt Lisa's lips against hers, leaving a barely-there kiss.

For days, Lisa had been leaving a kiss on her forehead before getting out of bed. She loved the way that Lisa thought she was stealing kisses from her when Jennie had been awake all those times. It was making her feel all sorts of feelings, because those kisses maybe wholesome but they were different. They meant something.

They got to mean something, or why did Lisa had to do them in secret, when she thought Jennie was asleep?

The feel of Lisa's warm breath on her face sent shivers through Jennie's body. It took all of her energy to control herself from pulling the blonde closer for a proper kiss. She felt Lisa's fingertips brush the side of her face before getting out of bed, and out of the room.

Jennie suddenly felt cold with Lisa's absence in the room, but as she opened her eyes, she felt giddy. She couldn't hide her happiness as her lips formed into the biggest smile. Jennie then reached for Lisa's pillow and held it to her chest. She snuggled into it, indulging herself in Lisa's scent.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Jennie!"

The actress literally jumped at the sound of that voice.

"You didn't- oomph!" The air was literally knocked out of Jennie's chest as somebody engulfed her in a tight hug.

Or more like rammed her and was squeezing the life out of her.

And no, it wasn't grandma.

They had just arrived at the family ranch and Jennie was taking out the bags from the Range Rover when Nayeon came barreling out of nowhere towards her without warning.

"Ugh, Nayeon, get your clammy tentacles off of me before my wife sees you! Not that she'd think of you as competition. She just doesn't want other people touching me." Jennie pried Nayeon's arms off. Her irritation would have been believable if she wasn't laughing.

"You're here!" Nayeon squealed as she pulled away from her friend.

"Of course I'm here. You only _force_ me to come every year. And it's the family ranch. Someone has to supervise you and your devious set of friends." Jennie cringed at how loud Nayeon's voice was. Maybe it's the Broadway thing, but she had never gotten used to it.

"Says the _most_ devious one." Nayeon rolled her eyes before playfully shoving Jennie.

Jennie chuckled and pushed back.

"I'm just really excited to see you." Nayeon smiled, obviously pleased. She looked around and inside the car. "Where's Lisa?"

"She went in a few minutes ago. Didn't you see her?" Jennie stepped back and continued pulling her things out of her SUV.

"Would I ask if I had?"

"Why don't you stop being a smartass and help me with these things?" Jennie gestured to the other bags that were still in the backseat.

Nayeon shrugged and pulled a bag with her.

"I knew Lisa was special, but I didn't realize how special she is until now." Nayeon remarked as the two of them walked towards the main house, carrying a bag each.

"Huh?" Jennie grunted at the heaviness of the bag she was carrying.

"Normally, you'd act like a diva and pester people to carry your own shit, but now, you're showing this side of you that I didn't even know existed."

Jennie frowned, looking confused.

"You're carrying her things." Nayeon pointed to the big yellow bag strapped on Jennie's shoulder.

"How do you know it's hers?"

"You hate yellow." They had known each other since they could barely walk, so there were really only a few things they didn't know about each other.

"Well, she's my wife. I'd carry her if she wanted to."

Nayeon laughed good-naturedly.

"What's so funny?"

"You're so in love." The Broadway actress playfully bumped Jennie.

"And that's funny because…?" Jennie asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I'm not laughing because it's funny. I'm laughing because it surprises me how different you are now. I've never seen you smile so much before."

"I'm not different." Jennie tried to suppress her smile to no avail. Nayeon was absolutely correct in her observations. She couldn't even remember being in a sour mood in the past week. The past few days with her family and Lisa had been so great, it felt like a dream.

"Right. Maybe you're just more comfortable being yourself. You're naturally caring and thoughtful but you always hide it because you always thought it turns you soft."

"I'm still a badass though, right?" Jennie grinned.

"Yeah, whatever." Nayeon grinned back. "Why didn't you introduce Lisa to us sooner?" Nayeon asked curiously. She only met Lisa during the wedding. The wedding announcement she watched on TV came as a surprise and she had reservations at the whirlwind romance at first, but as soon as she met the blonde, her doubts immediately vanished.

She was sure that Jennie had found the one.

"Were you trying to hide her from us? Afraid we'd tell her things about you that might change her mind?" Nayeon joked.

"No." Jennie chuckled. There wasn't really that much to hide, her being the A-list actress that she was. You could practically google all the dirt that you want to know about her. While most of them were made up, there were some that were actually true.

"Sehun said you didn't even mention her when he came to your hotel room in Hawaii."

That certainly knocked the smile off the taller brunette's face. Jennie felt her temper rising at the mention of Sehun's name. How could she have completely forgotten about the possibility of Sehun being here as well?

"They ran into each other at a coffee shop there. He said that was the first time he'd seen Lisa."

That was the same day Jennie and Lisa first met. Jennie never really asked Lisa how she had met Sehun before. Finding out that Lisa entered both her and Sehun's lives on the same day was sort of strange. Apparently, Sehun just figured that they were together at that time. That was a lucky coincidence, and that certainly worked to Jennie's advantage.

"Where are the others?" Jennie steered the conversation away from Sehun. She did notice the cars were fewer than last year. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Sehun's Lexus.

"Namjoon and Junmyeon will be flying in tomorrow. Jin and Jihyo are stuck in a meeting in L.A., but will be driving here later tonight."

"It's the 30th day of December." Jennie frowned. Weren't people supposed to be on vacation on holidays?

"They said it's important."

"And Sehun's here? Aren't they business partners or something?" Jennie remembered Sehun mentioning that during their talk in Hawaii.

"He's the boss. He could pretty much do whatever he wants." Nayeon shrugged.

Jennie scoffed, earning a curious glance from Nayeon. She didn't say anything, but the idea of egging Sehun's car crossed her mind. Maybe she'd do it one of these days.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"How did you do it?"

The soft voice forced Lisa's attention away from her conversation with Dahyun Kim and Jimin Park as she searched for the person that voice belonged to. Her eyes landed on the charming Jisoo Kim, who was smiling widely at her as she entered the living room to join everyone else.

Lisa's nose scrunched up in confusion.

She knew she was going to run into Jisoo sooner or later since they were both staying (as well as everyone else) in the Kim family ranch and she was kind of dreading it. She'd never really hung out with the fashion designer before, and that memory of Jennie crying over Jisoo stirred that queasy feeling in her stomach.

Lisa, who was slumped with her legs crossed on the floor looked over Sehun Oh and Yoongi Min opposite her, but they appeared to be just as confused as her.

"What are you talking about?"

"How did you tame grandma?" Jisoo stated as if her query was obvious before. She sat on the couch next to Yoongi, her curious eyes fixed on the blonde writer.

"Tame grandma?" Lisa chuckled, along with everyone else.

"Yeah." Jisoo shrugged and then snatched a slice of pizza from one of the boxes in the table in front of them.

"Are you guys talking about Eunseo? She's one scary grandmother." Tzuyu Chou walked in the living room with a six-pack of Corona and a bottle of red wine and set it on the table. Yeji and Jungkook followed with more alcohol.

"One time, she chased me with a stick." Jimin turned to Lisa, wincing at the memory of Jennie's grandmother running after him down the road. He had never run so fast in his life.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that. The look on your face was priceless." Jungkook opened a can of Corona and chugged it down.

"Why did she chase you?" Lisa couldn't hold back her laughter. Grandma was too old to run after someone now, but she could imagine how funny it must have been.

"He slapped Eunseo's butt." Dahyun grinned at Lisa.

"What!" The blonde writer could feel her stomach hurting already for laughing too much.

"I was 14." Jimin raised his hands in surrender, aware that there really was nothing to justify his actions then.

"Jiminie thought he was being cool." Jisoo said, then took a bite of her pizza.

"And then when Jennie found out, she almost beat him with his own guitar." Yoongi added.

Jimin was turning red already with embarrassment but he was laughing with them at his own expense.

"What stopped Jennie?" Lisa asked in curiosity.

"Sehun did." Jisoo glanced briefly at Sehun's direction with an almost shy smile.

Lisa caught this.

"I didn't want her to go to jail." Sehun barely noticed the look Jisoo was giving him as he looked up and smiled at Lisa. "I couldn't care less about Jimin, though." He joked.

Jimin hurled a throw pillow at Sehun that he managed to catch.

"And here I thought you were more concerned about my well-being." Jimin feigned hurt.

Lisa was enjoying the interaction among Jennie's friends when she realized the glass of red wine being handed to her. When she turned to look, she was met with Jisoo's kind eyes.

"Jennie mentioned that you preferred red wine over beer." Jisoo smiled.

"Uhm, thanks."

Lisa returned the smile, pleased to know that Jennie remembered that detail about her.

As to Jisoo, well, it's not that she didn't like her. She didn't hate her. Truth is, she had always thought the older Korean was really nice and she couldn't help but feel guilty for not wanting to be in her company. Before this night, they had barely interacted. They did see each other during events when Jennie took her. She had been civil, Jennie never acted inappropriately with Jisoo, and Jisoo was obviously of great character. It was just that she felt a pang of jealousy everytime she saw the fashion designer.

Her thoughts went back to Christmas Eve when she met Chungha. She felt the same way when it came to her. Then her eyes traveled briefly towards Tzuyu.

It was a bit odd that she never felt that way with Tzuyu, though.

Maybe it's because Chungha was Jennie's first girlfriend, and Jennie almost proposed to Jisoo. Tzuyu was just someone in between and their previous relationship had been pretty much public.

"What's your secret, Lisa?" Dahyun prodded.

"I'm sure it's the same that she used on Jennie." Yeji joked. "I'm not sure if you already know this, but I couldn't remember grandma liking any of the girls Jennie previously dated."

"True. I dated Jennie. Her family had known me since I was a kid, but grandma never trusted me with her. The few times we came over for dinner, she watched me like a hawk." Tzuyu chuckled at the memory.

"Well, I wouldn't trust you either, Tzuyu." Jungkook joked.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" This time, it was Tzuyu who threw a pillow at Jungkook.

"Can you guys please stop that?" Jisoo chastised both Jungkook and Tzuyu with a look. Tzuyu just rolled her eyes and Jungkook just shrugged.

"I've no secrets. I swear." Lisa felt good hearing those things.

"But you're grandma's favorite grandchild now. I'm jealous." Jungkook feigned envy, but failed to suppress the grin on his face.

"Mom said she gushed about you to everyone who would listen. You must have done something really impressive." Jisoo continued.

"She's just lovable as she is." Jennie said as she entered the living room with Nayeon in tow. She smiled at everyone, but completely ignored Sehun.

Lisa noticed this as well.

"She's a legend. That's what she is." Yoongi lifted his bottle of Corona to toast with Lisa. The blonde writer obliged as she lifted her glass of red wine.

Without bothering to find any other place to sit, Jennie knelt down and nudged Lisa's legs. The blonde looked at her inquisitively.

"Move over, babe. You can lean against me." Jennie gestured for Lisa to move so she could sit behind her. But Lisa wasn't about to.

"But I'm comfortable here. Why don't _you_ sit in front of me? I'd keep you warm." Lisa smiled, looking bashful. She motioned Jennie to sit between her legs as she uncrossed them.

"Maybe you should fight about who's going to top the other later?" Nayeon rolled her eyes at Jennie.

Lisa and Jennie visibly turned red.

"Oh, you guys are so cute. I can't believe you still get flustered with the sex jokes." Yoongi snickered.

"Aww, you two are acting like you've never even seen each other naked before. You have, right?" Yeji joked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.

"What? Of course! We've seen each other naked. We see each other naked all the time!" Jennie squeaked defensively, causing everyone, even Lisa, to laugh.

Sehun sat awkwardly opposite them, avoiding eye contact. He took a huge gulp from his can of beer.

To avoid further teasing, Jennie took the space between her wife's legs and sat, making herself comfortable as she leaned back against Lisa.

"Honey, I'm beat." Jennie whined.

"You did nothing but sleep all day." Lisa's chuckled, her arms finding its place around Jennie's waist.

"You were chasing me in my dream." The brunette placed her hands on top of Lisa's, her fingertips rubbing the back of Lisa's hands.

"Did I catch you?" The blonde pulled her wife closer to her.

"I wish." Jennie smiled, intertwining her left hand with Lisa's.

The two of them were so lost in their own private world that they didn't realize everyone's attention on them, watching them like a movie.

"Baby, are you hungry? They got pizza."

"Slightly hungry, but I can barely move. I did carry your bags. Why are they so heavy?" Jennie lifted her left hand started wiggling her fingers.

Lisa grabbed Jennie's hand and pulled it to her lips, kissing the back of it.

"I'm sorry. You insisted."

"I know."

"Come on, I'll feed you." Lisa reached for a slice of pizza from the box without untangling herself from her wife.

"You two are so disgustingly cute." Nayeon commented as she was munching her food.

"Newlyweds." Jimin shrugged, then gulping his bottle of beer.

"Shut up, Nayeon. I never complained when you were trying to get cozy with Namjoon in front of me back in the day. Leave us alone." Jennie playfully glared at Nayeon who just laughed. When she looked at Lisa's hands, she found her wife picking the olives off the pizza.

Jennie hated olives.

She didn't even know that Lisa noticed.

"Have you guys seen Junmyeon's baby? He tweeted a picture a week ago. She's such a doll." Yeji cooed as she remembered Junmyeon's newborn daughter, Minseo.

"I've seen it. And guess who's going to be the godmother?" Dahyun fist pumped in the air.

"What? You're godmother? Why?" Tzuyu frowned at Dahyun.

"Shut up, Tzuyu. Don't hate on me because I'm awesome."

"He said we could come see her daughter at his parents' house tomorrow before the party." Yoongi informed his friends.

"That would be nice." Jimin said. His attention was in the conversation but his eyes were focused curiously at Sehun who was sitting anxiously.

"How about you two, when are you having a baby?" Jisoo asked Lisa and Jennie.

"What's with all these baby craze?" Lisa asked amused. She was still holding the slice of pizza in her hand, halfway done feeding her wife. If she was asked this question two weeks ago, she would have been embarrassed. But they were way past the most awkward stage when they had to break it to the Kims that it was a 'false alarm'.

While Jennie enjoyed imagining little Minho and Ella, she didn't look slightly amused as her fierce gaze locked on Sehun, catching him looking at her wife.

Lisa felt Jennie's hand squeeze hers tighter.

"I'm surprised Sehun hadn't told you." Jennie did not even bother to mask her biting tone.

"You're pregnant?" Yoongi's tone was a mix of excitement and disbelief.

Jennie briefly pondered what to say next. If she had a choice, she'd let Sehun continue believing that Lisa was pregnant. Somehow, that gave her some sort of satisfaction and relief. But she also knew that she couldn't keep lying about that.

"We thought Lisa was." The actress answered cautiously, her eyes turned suspiciously at Sehun. Sehun may have averted his eyes away, but Jennie knew that he was all ears.

She continued.

"But as it turned out, it was false alarm. Before we could confirm it, _someone_ here thought it was a good idea to tell grandma." Jennie was now glaring at Sehun.

Jisoo picked up the tension between her friends. She tried to break it.

"So, you guys are trying?" The designer asked.

"Well, we're putting off our baby plans for a while. One baby is enough for now. Right, _baby_?" Lisa beamed. Her arms wrapped even tighter around Jennie as she gave the brunette a lingering kiss on the side of her forehead. "The next one's got to wait a few years." .

"Oh, Jennie's a baby, alright." Nayeon joked.

Jennie stuck her tongue out. Nayeon just gave her the finger.

"So, how did Jennie propose?" Dahyun nudged Lisa.

"Why does everyone always assume that I'm the one to propose?"

"Well, aren't you?" Jisoo quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but-"

"You're obviously the whipped one in this relationship, so it's not really that hard to figure out, sis." Yeji leaned closer and gave her sister a patronizing tap on the shoulder.

"Fuck, Jungkook!"

"What!" Jungkook almost sputtered his beer out.

"Did you tell them that Disneyland incident again?" Jennie glared at her brother. She had no other suspect since it was also Jungkook who told grandma and her parents.

"What happened at Disneyland?" Jisoo eyed Jennie.

_Shit._

Jennie literally facepalmed. She just set herself for a fall. Jungkook, Yeji and Lisa were laughing. Jennie felt the burning of her cheeks.

"Whatever. Sweetheart, why not just tell them how I made a fool of myself in front of you?"

"Me?" Lisa was surprised.

"Yeah. Tell them how I proposed."

They had never talked about the story that they'd tell if anyone asked how she proposed. At their press conference, they basically just told everyone that they were soulmates and nobody prodded any further. But these are Jennie's friends. They'd want details. Surely, Lisa could come up with a proposal story. Jennie was sure Lisa had dreamed of being proposed to. She was interested to know how Lisa would have wanted it.

"It's really not that grand." Lisa tried to get out of it, but Jennie's friends were listening eagerly.

"Come on Lisa, don't leave us hanging." Dahyun pouted.

"It's fine, babe. Just tell them." Jennie encouraged.

Lisa was in the spotlight.

She wasn't going to be cliché and weave a story about a romantic candlelit dinner. Jennie did that with Jisoo. That thought alone cause a sting in her heart. If she was going to make up a proposal story, she was at least going to make it her own.

Lisa just decided to tell them how she imagined herself proposing.

Yes, maybe she did dream of proposing to Jennie once.

Or twice.

But realistically speaking, she'd been imagining it almost everyday now.

And the way she imagined the events leading to it wasn't that wholesome.

Lisa cleared her throat.

She'd just give them the edited version.

"Well, uhm… we were in bed…" Lisa trailed off as she felt Jennie tensed in her arms.

Maybe she should have thought of another proposal story, but she couldn't really come up with anything right out of thin air. She felt pressured with everyone staring at her in anticipation. Lisa just went straight to the story that she'd been picturing these past few days with Jennie.

It only took a few seconds and Jennie started to relax. Her hand squeezed Lisa's again, prompting her to continue.

"We had just spent our first night in Hawaii. I woke up the next morning in Jennie's arms. She was staring at me with those soul-penetrating eyes. I don't know how long but, we were just there lying in bed."

Lisa paused with her storytelling when Jennie pulled back a little and turned her head to look at her. Brown eyes glimmered with awe as she stared back at Lisa.

"And then out of nowhere she was holding that little red box. She asked me a question, but I was too shocked, I didn't really hear her."

Lisa heard snickering around her but she wasn't really paying that much attention. She was too entranced by Jennie to notice.

"So I asked her again…" Jennie continued what Lisa was saying.

The story was up to her now.

"Well, that was after I rambled and stuttered explaining to her why she should give me a chance. I'm sure I didn't even make sense. Lili looked so confused, and I was losing all my confidence, so before I fainted, I managed to ask her again." Jennie smiled. "I asked her if she'd marry me, but I didn't get an answer right away because all of a sudden, she was kissing me, and then we were making out. She would have ripped my clothes off, _if I was wearing any_. Not that I was complaining." Jennie grinned seeing Lisa's ears turning red in embarrassment.

Oh, Jennie was enjoying this far too much.

Sehun sat uncomfortable as he listened. Fortunately, there wasn't anyone paying him attention. All he wanted was to get out of there, but realized that he couldn't do that without being noticed.

Lisa's amused smile persuaded her to continue.

"I got my answer eventually. It took a few hours but like I said. Not that I was complaining." Jennie shifted her body so she could look at Lisa's face more closely. "Then I told you that I love you."

Jennie felt her heart hammering against her chest. Why did it feel like a confession? Why was she scared to see the undecipherable expression on Lisa's face? She wasn't sure if she was expecting an answer or if she was ready to hear it. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. She didn't even know what possessed her to add that one last bit, but it was too late to take it now.

Needless to say, she was relieved when thin red lips formed into a smile.

"And I told you that I love you too." Lisa said, doe eyes flickering down to Jennie's lips. She felt that pull again; the one that she felt everytime Jennie was near. She'd given in to that pull a lot of times lately.

Today wasn't an exception.

Lisa closed the little distance between them and captured Jennie's lips for a kiss.

Sehun snapped his eyes away.

Jisoo stared dreamily at them.

Yeji and Jungkook were used to them being all lovey-dovey, and the rest just stared open-mouthed. They just weren't used to seeing Jennie like this.

"That's kind of sexy." Dahyun managed to say when she finally got out of her trance.

"Yeah, it is." Jimin said, more like breathe, as he continued staring at Lisa and Jennie with his jaw on the floor.

By this time, Jennie had resumed her comfortable position in front of her wife.

"I meant the proposal, dumbass." Dahyun growled at Jimin.

"Aside from Jennie's sexy proposal, why did you say yes? She's obviously a pain in the ass." Nayeon teased.

"Quit the interrogation, guys. That's not going to work. She already married me." Jennie proudly said, a smug look plastered on her face.

"I still don't know how you got Lisa to say yes." Nayeon feigned seriousness.

"Hey! Shut it Big Bird and keep your big nose out of my business." Jennie snarled at her friend.

"You did not just call me that!" Nayeon screamed indignant.

"Big Bird?" Lisa's eyes darted first towards Sehun, but he was avoiding eye contact which confused her. Her eyes then turned to Yoongi.

"Yeah, they always tease each other and you'd never believe what kind of words they come up with." Yoongi was shaking his head in mix disbelief and amusement. Nayeon and Jennie were close, but sometimes they just couldn't help but bicker at each other.

"You better stop messing with me or I'll spill. Lisa obviously didn't know half the dirt about you, or she wouldn't have said yes." Nayeon pointed playfully at Jennie's direction.

"I don't agree with you on that point Nayeon." Jisoo butted in. She demurely took a sip on her glass of wine, watching Jennie and Lisa through the lid.

"I was joking with that one, but really?" The Broadway actress puckered her eyebrows.

"They're soulmates." Jisoo stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Lisa's heart skipped a beat hearing that from Jisoo. Jennie looked expectantly at her bestfriend, waiting for her to continue.

"Jennie's not perfect, but that didn't matter."

"I thought you were defending me, Chu?"

"Let me finish. No one's perfect anyway. You weren't called Hollywood's most notorious playgirl for no reason. It's a fact. You had your indiscretions, but you know that I think?"

"What?" Jennie asked curiously.

"I think there's a reason for everything. I think that you couldn't find happiness and contentment in your previous relationships that is why you kept jumping into the next one. That's because you didn't have Lisa in your life yet, because your past relationships weren't with Lisa. And look at you now. You found her. You found your soulmate and all of a sudden, you're this different person; a better one. And you know what? I like it." Jisoo smiled at Jennie, before turning to Lisa. She then raised her glass of wine to the blonde.

Returning the smile, Lisa lifted her own glass of wine and nodded at Jisoo.

"So, who wants shots?" Jungkook stood up, looking too excited. He headed to the bar not so far away from them where their parents kept their alcohol.

"I can't. I've got to take care of setting up tomorrow morning." Nayeon droned. She wanted a drink but she was sort of a perfectionist so she had to be in perfect shape with no hang over the next day. This was her annual party and wanted everything to be in order.

"Who did you invite?" Dahyun asked.

"You know. Same old people from highschool." Nayeon and everyone else went to the only coed private highschool in Valencia.

"Ooh, is Seulgi coming?" Jimin looked thrilled at the news.

"Still not over your highschool crush, I see." Yoongi teased.

"I heard she's engaged." Tzuyu grinned, looking devious. Jimin narrowed his eyes at his friend, waiting for her to continue. "To her girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Jimin's eyes widened.

"You didn't know you were crushing on a lesbian?" Tzuyu laughed at the priceless look on the musician's face. She ran into Seulgi in one of the famous lesbian bars in West Hollywood.

"Obviously not. Since when did she play for your team? Jennie, don't tell me you turned her as well." Jimin turned an accusing look at the actress.

"Dude, I didn't even have to. Seulgi Kang screamed rainbows even before I realized I was gay in highschool. You didn't notice the way she acted with Seungwan Shon?" Jennie sounded patronizing but looking sympathetic.

"Seungwan Shon?" Jimin tried to recall where he had heard that name before.

"They were attached to the hip back then." Yeji said.

Sehun had completely zoned out in the whole conversation. Lisa was concerned, but didn't say anything. She was waiting for him to look up, but never did he turn his eyes to her direction again.

"Well, apparently, their hips are still attached. Seulgi's engaged to Seungwan." Tzuyu shrugged.

"Damn it. Why are all the hot girls gay and taken? It's hot but it's also unfortunate for me." Jimin looked truly disappointed.

"You know what you should do? You should get drunk." Jungkook came back with a bottle of tequila, a plate of sliced lemons, and a salt shaker. He poured some on a shot glass and handed it to Jimin.

"Thanks, man. Here's to you." Jimin turned to Lisa and Jennie. "To the hot and unavailable girls that I never had a chance with."

"Cheers!" Lisa giggled as he bumped her glass of wine with Jimin's shot glass. Jennie then snatched the glass from Lisa and sipped from it.

"How about a shot, sister-in-law?"

"Why not?" Lisa accepted the shot glass while Jennie reached for the salt shaker and a slice of lemon.

Jennie shifted on her seat again so she was half-facing her wife. The brunette pulled her hair to the other side, exposing the side of her neck. She then placed the slice of lemon in between her lips and handed the salt shaker to Lisa.

Lisa looked quizzical.

Jennie just wiggled her eyebrows.

Lisa snorted. Her cheeks reddened as she opened the salt shaker and poured some on the cranny of the right side of Jennie's neck. She then looked up at her wife, and when Jennie nodded, she tilted her head. Her tongue shot out, sweeping the salt that was on Jennie's skin. The blonde heard the faint gasp that escaped her wife's mouth. She then knocked back the shot of tequila, and leaned closer to grab the slice of lemon from Jennie.

Lisa's tongue brushed with Jennie's lower lip, causing a shudder on both their parts.

When Lisa pulled back, her gaze held Jennie's.

"Sis?" Jungkook called for the second time but didn't get a reaction from his sister.

He just had to roll his eyes at that.

"Jennie!"

Jennie jerked at the sound of her brother's voice.

"What?" She snapped at him in irritation.

"I was asking you if you want a shot as well."

"I'll pass. Once I start, I won't stop, and I don't want to wake up hung over tomorrow." Jennie answered.

"And end up in a closet." Nayeon spilled.

That certainly caught Lisa's attention. She didn't see how wide Jennie's eyes had gotten at that. The brunette glared at Nayeon, warning her not to continue.

But it's Nayeon, and she liked torturing Jennie.

"I remember that. Jennie got so wasted, she slept in the closet." Dahyun laughed. "How did you even fit with Jisoo in there?"

Lisa's eyebrow arched up.

Jennie could feel her wife's stare at the back of her head.

"You went to the closet with Chu? Was that when we were together?" Tzuyu looked at Jennie in disbelief. The brunette actress suddenly looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Jisoo, instead of defending herself from the implied accusation, just watched in amusement. It was definitely entertaining to see Jennie scrambling for words to say. She usually had a vocabulary full of vicious, vicious words, but with Lisa in the same room, she couldn't even explain.

"Oh, uh..." The brunette stuttered, which was a very rare thing. Why did Nayeon have to call their attention to that particular event that happened a long time ago? She did spend some time in the closet, literally, with Jisoo, but they were drunk and while dirty thoughts were running through her head at that time, nothing actually happened because, well, Jisoo's as straight as a ruler and had always set her eyes on Sehun.

"When did that happen?" Tzuyu could not help her curiosity.

"Nothing happened! We just... we were supposed to stay there a bit."

"In the closet?" Lisa asked to confirm.

"Honey, we were drunk." Jennie tried to justify, but Lisa did not say anything more. She found her friends' eyes on her. "Stop looking at me like I did something horrible. Yoongi was there!"

"For a short moment. I left because I was feeling claustrophobic." Yoongi cleared.

"Well, did you do anything?" Jimi grinned at Jennie.

"Shut it, Park." Jennie rolled her eyes.

"You're incorrigible." Tzuyu threw a pillow at Jennie who caught it in time before it hit her in the face. "Was that when we were dating?" She asked again.

"Tzuyu, nothing happened and it was a long time ago so don't act all jealous now."

"Uhm, I'm tired so, I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow." Lisa squeezed herself out from behind Jennie. She kissed the brunette on top of her head but left the family room without so much of a word.

Jennie watched her wife walk away.

When she turned her attention back to her friends, she found Sehun staring at the direction where Lisa had disappeared.

Brown eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

Probably feeling the stare, Sehun's eyes met Jennie's. The brunette actress made sure that Sehun would know what she was trying to say with the glare she was throwing his way.

Sehun was the first to avert his gaze.

Jennie then shifted her attention to Nayeon.

"Great, Nayeon. Now my wife's mad at me. Why did you have to bring that up?" Jennie groaned.

"Lisa isn't mad, Jennie. She's just tired. Don't be so paranoid." Yeji grumbled.

"She's _my_ wife. I know when she's mad or not." Jennie looked up at Jisoo. "And you, you're my bestfriend. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I didn't do anything wrong, so I didn't see the need to defend myself. And besides, it's entertaining to see you fumble like a bumbling idiot." Jisoo teased.

"Ugh, you're not my friends. Next year, I'm cutting you all from my life." Jennie pouted as she leaned against the cold side of the couch.

"You said that last year." Dahyun said.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie had been in bed since two hours ago, and still she couldn't sleep. The noise in the house had died down. Her friends probably got tired of watching the Survivor rerun and went to bed as well. Lisa, on the other hand, was not in the bedroom when Jennie decided to call it a night. She wondered where her wife was. The reaction that Lisa had over that closet encounter with Jisoo was unexpected. It's a strange reaction, but it was cute. Jennie didn't realize that a smile formed in her face just by thinking about it.

Could it be that Lisa was still pissed and didn't want to share the room with her?

_Why would she be?_

Jennie thought, more to convince herself than anyone else. The brunette got up from the bed and went out of the room. Maybe a bottle of beer would help with her sleeping problem. While she was busy wandering around their house for alcohol, she found a very busy Lalisa Manoban in the dining room with her laptop, a notebook, a pen and a cup of now cold coffee.

"Sweetheart?" Jennie didn't realize that lately, she'd been calling Lisa with pet names even when they were alone. "You've been here all this time?"

Lisa did not notice Jennie's presence until the brunette's voice broke the silence and her thoughts. She lifted her gaze from the screen to Jennie, and smiled.

"I didn't realize you're still awake." Lisa motioned to the adjacent chair, gesturing for Jennie to sit down.

Jennie smiled back and slowly walked towards her. Sitting down, Jennie rested her head on her right hand, pouting cutely at Lisa.

"Why are you still awake at this time in the-" Jennie caught a glance of the grandfather clock. "-morning?"

"I can't sleep. And I got inspired to write, so…"

Lisa fell silent.

"I thought you were purposely avoiding me." Jennie's voice sounded so small.

"Why would you think that?"

"Uh, your reaction with that thing with Chu and the way you walked out on me and my friends?"

"What you did with Jisoo is not my business." Lisa casually replied but that actually hurt inside.

"Babe…" Jennie reached for Lisa's hand and held it in hers.

"I shouldn't even pry."

"I told you, I _didn't_ do anything with Jisoo. Yoongi can confirm that. Do you want me to call him now?"

"Why are you explaining this to me?"

"Because _you're_ my wife. You shouldn't be surprised with things like this, so tomorrow, I'm writing down every moment in my life that would be significant to you, and I'm also listing the names of all of my exes. Although I'm warning you, the list would be more like a book." Jennie pondered for a moment before continuing. "We could get it published and it would be called 'The Idiots Guide for Hollywood's Most Notorious Playgirl Who Found Her Soulmate'."

Lisa giggled.

"Sounds catchy, right? I wonder what Taehyung would think of it. We could get millions from it." Jennie smiled.

The blonde remained sitting silently though. She was running her long fingers on top of her keyboard but she wasn't really typing. She was just listening.

"Are you jealous of Jisoo?" Jennie joked.

Lisa's head snapped towards Jennie's direction.

"What? No." The blonde shook her head frantically.

"Come on, admit it. You're jealous. Look, your eyes are turning green." Jennie pointed at Lisa's face and playfully poked the writer in the arm. Lisa swatted Jennie's hand away.

"Mature, Jennie. Really mature." Lisa glared at the actress who was not even a bit perturbed by the warning message that she was trying to get across.

"If you want to go to the closet with me, all you have to do is ask." Jennie winked at Lisa, who simply rolled her eyes at the brunette's attempt to sleep with her.

"No, I don't want to go to the closet with you." Lisa replied, giving Jennie an 'in-your-dreams' kind of look.

"It was a joke."

Jennie pulled Lisa's hand that she was still holding closer to her chest.

"I'm not going to drag you in a closet on our first time. You're special to me, Lili. You deserve better." Jennie sounded sincere.

Silence befell them again. But despite her blushing, Lisa eventually spoke.

"And who says there's going to be a first time?" The blonde asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Who wouldn't want all up on this?" Jennie joked as she pointed to herself.

Lisa shook her head in amusement. She pulled her right hand from Jennie's grasp and picked up her pen. She wrote something on a piece of post-it note, pulled it from the pad, and stuck it on the side of her laptop.

"Do you flirt with everyone wearing a skirt?"

"I never flirted with Nayeon. And I would never, even if I was single. So, no. Not everyone." Jennie said as a matter-of-fact.

"You are unbelievable."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Jennie grinned.

"It's not."

"You're so cute when you're annoyed." Jennie laughed. Lisa was normally patient and rarely got angry except when she provoked her, but Jennie, knowing how annoying herself could be and enjoying just doing that to Lisa, Jennie made sure to do so every chance she got.

But Lisa Manoban wasn't just cute. She was also sexy, lovely, adorable, stunning, breathtaking.

"Seriously Jennie, I need you to shut up." Lisa looked up at Jennie again, with that trademark stoic look of hers which automatically shut Jennie up. The writer was not joking around anymore.

So, Jennie sat there, in silence, and listened to the sound of pen scribbling on paper as Lisa started making more notes. She even made sure she wouldn't distract Lisa with the sound of her breathing.

"Stop staring at me."

"Honey…" Jennie called.

"What?"

"Your eyes are so beautiful. Have I ever told you that?" Jennie's head was on the table, turned on the side where Lisa was sitting.

Lisa didn't meet her eyes, but she smiled.

"Are you trying to sweet-talk me, _hot lips_?" Lisa joked.

"Did you just call me 'hot lips'?"

"No, it's probably just your imagination." Lisa chuckled. "You should go to bed, babe." Lisa said without throwing a look at Jennie's direction.

"I'm not sleepy."

Jennie pulled her chair closer to Lisa.

"Can I just stay here and watch you?"

"Watch me?"

"So I could keep you company, fix your coffee, make sure that you don't fall asleep on the table. Maybe I could teach you how to ride Shazam tomorrow." Shazam was Jennie's horse. She had talked about Shazam with Lisa before. Lisa said she hadn't tried horseback riding and hoped that Jennie would teach her. It was one of Jennie's expensive hobbies when she was younger.

Jennie refused. Shazam was a dark-colored Thoroughbred and he was really huge. While she was smaller than Lisa, she had years of training and riding her horse who also adopted his owner's personality.

Shazam was kind of aloof to new people.

"You didn't want to teach me."

"Yeah, well, people change their mind."

"You change your mind every five seconds."

"I'm sure you'll be the one changing your mind when you see my horse tomorrow." Jennie could already imagine Lisa backing out when she got her first glimpse of how big Shazam was.

"Whatever you say, babe. Are you sure you want to stay here? I'm not going to carry you to bed if you fall asleep on the table."

"I'm fine. Just shut up and write, why can't you?" Jennie mocked her wife, who just snorted in return. She had no idea how long Lisa intended to stay in the dining room.

She didn't stay awake long enough to find out.

Lisa threw a glance at her wife's direction and did a double take; Jennie was already slumped on the table, sleeping soundly, and it had only been thirty minutes. Just what Lisa expected.

She shook her head, smiling.

At six in the morning, Lisa was still there, and Jennie was still asleep. Lisa pushed the laptop further into the table and stretched her arms and legs, and craned her neck from side to side. She didn't notice the time. It was only when she saw the first rays of sunlight hit the dining room window that she realized it was almost daytime. From the window, she then turned her head to Jennie's direction. Jennie, apparently, had not moved. She was still slumped on a stack of Lisa's post-it notes.

Lisa leaned back in relaxation. Her eyes drifted and rested at the sight of the actress. Jennie's brunette hair was all over the table, but they did not block Jennie's face. Just as what she had been doing often in the recent days, Lisa stared. Her brown eyes lingered on Jennie's face which was very small, very girlish. And then there were her lips.

Jennie had full red lips that always felt so good against her own.

The sound of footsteps broke her trance.

"Hey..." Nayeon walked into the dining room, still yawning.

"Good morning, Nayeon." Lisa grabbed one of the notes in front of her and pretended to be really busy going over the notes she had previously written.

"Pulled an all-nighter?"

"Yup. Couldn't really sleep."

Nayeon's eyes wandered at Jennie's direction. "Why is she sleeping here?"

"She can't sleep without me."

"Awww…"

Want some coffee?" Lisa got up from the chair and headed to the coffee maker not so far from them.

"Yes, please." Nayeon took the chair on the other side of Jennie as she watched Lisa pour her a cup. She then shifted her gaze back to Jennie and narrowed her eyes at the brunette as a mischievous idea formed in her head.

"Why are you up so early?" Lisa inquired.

"Just so I could do this." Nayeon grinned.

Lisa turned her head just as Nayeon moved closer to Jennie, leaned down and stopped near the latter's left ear, and before Lisa could stop the Broadway star, Nayeon had already blown into Jennie's ear which jolted the actress from her sleep, her head hitting Nayeon's nose hard. The collision caused Jennie to fall from her chair and Nayeon fell on her ass on the floor because of the headbutt which she did not anticipate to avoid.

Now wide awake, Jennie groaned in pain, clutching the back of her head. On the other hand, Nayeon was also grunting and clutching her nose, which luckily did not break, but was hurting so bad.

"Owww..."

"What the fuck, Nayeon!" Jennie growled at Nayeon upon seeing her. Both were on the floor now.

Grudgingly, Nayeon got up from the floor and did not bother to help Jennie. Jennie winced at the pain that she still feels in her head.

"Wow Nayeon, you're a bit slow." Lisa laughed at the scene before her.

Nayeon's eyes flashed dangerously at Jennie's direction.

"You almost broke my nose!"

"Are you for real? You're blaming this on me? I thought I was getting attacked!"

"You..."

"What, Big Bird?" Jennie jumped back into her feet, rubbing the back of her head.

"I told you to stop calling me Big Bird, Sandbags!"

"Pinocchio!"

"Angry Bird!"

And Lisa stood there watching in amusement as the two yelled at each other their terms of 'endearment'. It was a really funny scene and she was tempted to record it, but she didn't want to miss any moment of it so she stayed there, forgetting that the cup of coffee she was holding was supposed to be Nayeon's as she started drinking it.

Jihyo walked in the dining room, looking very annoyed. The filmmaker arrived with Jin late the other night. She walked passed by the two arguing and joined Lisa, who let Jihyo drink from the same cup. It didn't take long before roommates Tzuyu and Yoongi also came in, the latter scratching his head and looking in disbelief as Jennie and Nayeon did not seem to run out of names to call each other.

"This is what woke me at this time in the morning? Unbelievable." Jihyo wanted nothing but to slap both Jennie and Nayeon back to their senses. She barely slept and these two idiots just had to wake her up.

"I can't believe I dated her." Tzuyu watched with her arms crossed.

"Thank God Yeji is a heavy sleeper. Or else, she'd seriously kick both of their butts." Yoongi remarked, and continued. "They sound like an old married couple."

"Really? Geez, that does not make me want to get old OR married." Tzuyu shuddered at the thought.

"You know what? I'm going to get some sleep." Lisa said when she finally felt her exhaustion from a long night of writing.

"Not gonna stay for the finale of this early morning entertainment? I feel like I actually directed this." Jihyo laughed.

"I've heard enough for one day, and it's barely 7 a.m.. See you guys at lunch. And please make sure that Nayeon keeps the injuries away from my wife's lips. I love those too much." Lisa walked towards the door.

"Can you make them stop? These idiots are starting to give me a headache, and you know me and my headaches, it turns me into Jennie." Tzuyu said as a matter of fact.

"You make Jennie sound like she needs anger management." Yoongi said.

Lisa turned her attention back to her wife and her friend. It looked like they didn't really care what time it was, and it didn't look like they were stopping anytime soon. She contemplated for a while. Deciding that she couldn't sleep without her new 'teddy bear', Lisa called out Jennie.

"Jennie, let's go."

Jennie probably did not hear her because she was still busy taunting Nayeon.

Lisa raised an eyebrow in disbelief. These two had enough energy to power an entire country.

"Jennie..."

"Big Bird Big Bird Big Bird-" Jennie jeered at Nayeon.

"Honey?"

Jennie stopped at Lisa's sweet voice. It was only then that she and Nayeon finally realized they weren't the only ones in the dining room anymore. Nayeon felt embarrassed upon seeing her friends watching them.

"Huh?" Jennie looked confused.

"Are you coming?"

"Uh, where?"

"We're going to get some sleep." Lisa left the room without saying another word.

Jennie followed her.

Jihyo, Tzuyu, Yoongi and Nayeon watched in astonishment.

"What just happened?" Jihyo couldn't believe her eyes. Jennie followed Lisa without any question. Sure they were married, but she had never seen her friend like that before.

"She finally found the one she can't say no to." Nayeon said.

"Wow. I've never seen Jennie so whipped." Tzuyu was amused.

"I know, right?" Yoongi chuckled.

When Nayeon turned her attention to her friends, she groaned at the funny looks they were giving her.

"Really mature, Nayeon." Yoongi commented.

Meanwhile, Lisa and Jennie were passing by the living room when the brunette grabbed the writer's hand, stopping her in the process. Lisa turned inquisitively at her wife.

"Babe, I can't make it to the bedroom. Let's crash on the couch." Jennie was already pulling the blonde to the dark brown couch before she even replied.

"You want to sleep on the couch?" Lisa frowned.

"It's big enough for us. Come on." The actress lay down, making sure to leave some space for Lisa. She arranged some throw pillows for both of them and gestured for Lisa to lay down with her.

"But-" Lisa was unable to finish her sentence as the brunette pulled her down.

"I'll hold you." Jennie assured her with a smile.

Lisa, without making any protest, scooted next to Jennie.

The couch was wide enough, but to not fall, you shouldn't move. Jennie tucked her right arm underneath Lisa's neck, and her right hand rested on the blonde's shoulder. Her other arm was wrapped protectively around Lisa's waist to keep her from falling.

Lisa was lying half on top of Jennie, so her right hand had nowhere to go but rest on top of Jennie's stomach. Instead of feeling awkward, she felt comfortable.

They lay in silence for a few moments, enjoying the feel of each other. Jennie's breathing was steady but Lisa could tell her wife was still awake.

"You smell nice." Lisa murmured as she buried her face on the crook of Jennie's neck.

The actress giggled as the warm breath tickled her. She slightly turned her head and sniffed blonde hair.

"You smell nicer. Go to sleep, sweetheart." Jennie kissed Lisa on top of her head and closed her eyes.

It didn't take long for both of them to drift into dreamland.

An hour later, Sehun passed by the living room and saw them in the exact same position as when they fell asleep.

A deep sigh escaped his lips.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa jumped and cheered for Jennie as her wife scored a goal.

They were outside that afternoon with some of Jennie's friends and Jungkook, playing soccer on the field to kill some time before the party that night. Namjoon Kim and Junmyeon Kim arrived just after she and Jennie woke up during lunch time.

Jennie had Junmyeon, Dahyun, Jimin and Tzuyu on her team. The opposing team had Namjoon, Jihyo, Jin, Jungkook and Sehun. Nayeon, Jisoo, Yeji and Yoongi were still setting up the party tent in front of the main house. Lisa had never played soccer before so she stayed on the sidelines.

Doe eyes followed the small Korean as she ran after Jin. Jin barely had control of the soccer ball and before he could kick it to Jihyo, Jennie managed to steal it and passed it to her teammate, Junmyeon.

Lisa couldn't help but squeal with pride. Her wife was the smallest in that field. She didn't even know she played any sport, at all. Who would have thought that her wife could outrun and outsmart a guy as huge as Namjoon in sports? No matter how hard Namjoon tried to block her, Jennie managed to kick the ball past him straight into the goal. The guys were no match with Jennie's size, speed and agility.

The blonde grinned. She was acting giddy like a highschool cheerleader cheering on her jock girlfriend.

"Go baby!" Lisa screamed.

Jennie's head turned. She saw her wife on the sidelines grinning at her. Suddenly feeling overconfident, she plastered a cocky grin and winked at Lisa.

The blonde just laughed.

"Do you think I'm desirable?"

Lisa was startled by the unexpected presence. When she turned her head, she realized that it was Jisoo. She didn't even hear her approach. Lisa looked on, confused at the question.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm single. I've been single for a long time, and… I don't know." Jisoo shrugged. Her arms were crossed defensively on her chest.

Jisoo's eyes followed the soccer game as she continued.

"I'm sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable? It's just that I'm sort of jealous of what you have with Jennie. She was never good in relationships and yet, she found love with you. If you knew her before, you'd expect her to be married last."

Jisoo's voice sounded softer, and somber. It was a complete contrast to how she talked the other night. As Lisa looked back, she couldn't really remember a time seeing the designer without that charming smile on her face.

She felt for her.

Lisa noticed Jisoo staring at Sehun's direction.

"So near, yet so far, huh?"

Jisoo turned a curious look at Lisa.

"Jennie may have mentioned something about it."

Jisoo sighed.

"Maybe you should open your doors, explore other possibilities. I'm sure there are a lot of guys out there waiting in line for you. You're just too busy to notice them."

"Thanks. That actually makes me feel better." Jisoo smiled, but it barely reached her eyes.

There was a pause.

Jisoo looked and sounded sad. If she was Chaeyoung, Lisa would have hugged her for comfort. But this was Jisoo. How exactly were you supposed to console the girl your wife almost married? Jisoo was kind, perfect, and clearly had no interest on Jennie but still, she stirred that feeling of jealousy on Lisa's part.

"But it's easier said than done, especially when you have strong feelings for someone." Jisoo shifted her body to face Lisa. She looked up to meet doe eyes. "I don't mean to drop this on you. You barely know me."

"It's okay." Lisa gave her a genuine smile.

"It's just that… I don't really have anyone to talk to about this. Nayeon's based in New York. Dahyun and Tzuyu are usually away filming and Jihyo and Jin couldn't be bothered considering their new business. And I can't really talk to Jennie. She hates Sehun enough already."

"You love him, don't you?"

Jisoo nodded without hesitation.

"Why?" Lisa asked in curiosity.

"Can't help who you fall in love with. Come on, you fell in love with Jennie. She's not that easy to get along with."

Lisa chuckled.

"Good point."

"Don't hurt her, okay? I don't know if she could take it. She'd never been like this to anyone. You're the first person to ever break her walls." Jisoo said in concern.

Before Lisa could answer, she felt the soccer ball hit her leg. It wasn't painful, but she turned with a playful glare at the culprit.

It was Jungkook.

"I'm sorry!" He smiled bashfully at her.

Sehun then ran towards them and kicked the ball back to Jungkook.

"Poor aim, brother-in-law!" Lisa teased.

Jennie then gave her brother a patronizing tap on the back.

"Sorry about that." Sehun stood beside Lisa, panting as he watched his teammates mess up their game. It was pathetic, really, to have the most athletic guys in their team yet they were the punching bags, figuratively, to the small actress.

The score was 6-2.

It was embarrassing.

"It wasn't your fault." Lisa reassured him with a smile.

"Hey, Chu." He smiled at Jisoo.

Lisa almost laughed seeing how flustered Jisoo looked.

"Hi." Jisoo smiled. This time, it reached her eyes.

"Don't you guys want to play? We could use some help." Sehun asked.

"It wouldn't be much help even if Lisa and I played for your team. They've got Jennie. The game was over even before it began." Jisoo joked.

That wasn't just a joke, though.

Contrary to popular belief, Jennie wasn't a cheerleader in highschool.

She played for the girls' varsity soccer team.

"That's true." Sehun laughed. It was the first time since yesterday that he felt genuinely ecstatic.

"Are you okay?"

Lisa's question surprised both Sehun and Jisoo.

Sehun turned to look at her, looking confused.

"You didn't seem like yourself yesterday." Lisa said.

Sehun shrugged. He wasn't about to tell the blonde writer that he felt uncomfortable seeing her being sweet and cozy with her wife. He was attracted to Lisa from the first time he met her in Hawaii. But before he was able to act on it after running into her again in that Vanity Fair party, Lisa was already engaged.

To his childhood friend, no less.

Jisoo was looking expectantly at him, so was Lisa.

"I'm fine. I just had a lot on my mind, that's all."

"Like what?" Jisoo asked, a mix of curiosity and concern showing on her face.

"Work." He replied in a dismissive tone. "Owww!" Sehun yelped as the soccer ball hit him on the side of his face.

Three heads turned towards the field and found Jennie glaring at them.

More like, at Sehun.

With her hands on her hips.

"Get your ass back in the game, Oh!"

Jisoo could sense her bestfriend's defiance by her stance. She darted her eyes from Jennie to Sehun and Lisa, and then back to Jennie.

The actress looked unrelenting as she stared angrily at Sehun.

It was hard to read Sehun's expression. He mumbled another apology before running back to the field to join his team. Lisa looked like she didn't understand what just happened.

Jisoo smirked in amusement.

The game went on and Jisoo and Lisa shared a comfortable silence. This time, Lisa felt at-ease in the designer's company. As the game ended with a 10-5 score (Jennie's team won, of course), everybody headed back into the house to get some rest. The New Year's Eve party would be starting in a couple of hours and all of them could use some relaxation.

Lisa left for the bathroom and Jennie waited for her in the field. Jennie had promised she'd let the blonde ride Shazam when she got back.

Jennie was lying down on the grass when Jisoo joined her.

Both of them stared at the bright blue sky.

"Are you jealous of Sehun?"

"What?" Jennie frowned.

"You kicked that ball and hit him in the face on purpose." Jisoo stated knowingly.

Jennie sighed.

"I don't like the way he looks at Lili."

"So you really are jealous."

"She's my wife."

Jisoo pondered for a moment before continuing.

"Maybe he admires her. Lisa _is_ beautiful. But he's your friend, Jennie. He wouldn't do anything to hurt you."

"He should at least try to be subtle."

There was a pause.

"I'm glad you found her." Jisoo smiled.

"Me too… Chu?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"What did I do?"

"Just… thanks."

If it weren't for Jisoo, she wouldn't have found her way to Lisa. She wouldn't have come up with the crazy idea of getting married to a stranger, and she wouldn't have gotten to know Lisa.

"Come on. Your wife's excited to ride your monstrous horse today." Jisoo got up, and Jennie followed.

The actress winced.

"Gosh, that sounds _so_ wrong." Jennie chuckled with a grimace.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie had left their bedroom to give Lisa some time to dress for the party. She was already made up and was wearing a short, strapless, white dress (like that one she wore at her first Maxim party, only of different color). Her long, dark hair cascaded down to her shoulders in big curls.

She was just turning a corner when she almost bumped into Sehun. They startled each other and both mouthed an undecipherable 'sorry'. Jennie was already walking away, avoiding all awkwardness with Sehun, when he spoke, stopping her on her tracks.

"What was that about?"

Jennie slowly turned around. Sehun was standing a few feet from her, looking dapper in his dark pants, blue polo shirt and black jacket.

"You really had to ask? You might want to tone down your leering." Jennie warned.

"I'm sorry. But you can't deny that your wife is eye candy." Sehun sounded nonchalant with his retort.

"I don't really appreciate you talking about my wife like that." Jennie felt the anger boiling from within her. She balled her hands into fists, trying to control her rage. Sehun hadn't done anything physical to show his attraction to Lisa, but the way he looked at her made him so obvious.

And Jennie didn't really like the idea of Sehun looking at Lisa in any context.

The thought didn't sit well with her.

"You can't blame me though. I'm not blind. You don't have to feel insecure about it."

Jennie scoffed.

"Me, insecure? _Of you_? I'm the one she's married to. I'm sorry if that makes you feel envious, knowing how pathetic your life is."

Jennie knew it was a low jab. Not too long ago, she was just like him and that's why they got along so well. She couldn't keep relationships, she had too many one-night stands. She was depressed, but she got good at hiding it. She wanted Jisoo then, but right now, she wasn't sure if she would have been as happy with her as she was now, with Lisa.

But she just couldn't care less about Sehun.

"You're lucky you met her first." Sehun spoke.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Oh?" Jennie snapped at him.

"Just a piece of advice, don't screw it up." Sehun turned around and left before Jennie could respond.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie found it difficult to quell the anger Sehun caused. Quietly, she entered their bedroom and found Lisa standing by the full-length mirror, her face scrunched up as she tried to reached behind her to zip up her short, black dress.

Jennie's facial expression softened as she watched the blonde.

"Are you just going to stand there or will you come over here and help me?" Lisa asked playfully; her brown eyes looking back at Jennie through the mirror.

Jennie blushed as she realized she was caught staring. That had been happening a lot lately. Smiling, she walked over to her wife. As she lifted her left hand and replaced Lisa's on the zipper, she felt it shaking a bit.

Slowly, she pulled the zipper upwards.

When her fingers brushed against the skin of Lisa's back, she took in a huge intake of breath, while Lisa stood tensed. Finally zipped up, Jennie took a few steps back. The room felt hot all of a sudden and it was strange, considering the cold holiday weather.

"Done." Jennie grinned, now able to breathe with the distance.

"Thanks." Lisa smiled at her gratefully. She spun around to face her wife.

"You look gorgeous tonight, honey."

"Just tonight?" The blonde asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Jennie laughed. She then lifted her right hand, offering it to Lisa.

"So, shall we?" The brunette asked.

Lisa did not verbalize her answer. She just took the hand that her wife offered, and without saying anything more, they walked out of their bedroom to meet their friends at the party.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa was surprised at the huge turn-out of Nayeon's NYE party.

An hour into the party, she was introduced to too many different people from Jennie's highschool than she could remember. Some were Yeji's friends and Jungkook even invited his own friends from Baltimore. Nayeon had friends that came over from New York, and the band that was playing turned out to be Jimin's former bandmates. Somewhere along the socializing, Jennie got preoccupied with some old friends and Lisa found herself wanting space.

Meanwhile, Jennie's head snapped away from the person she was talking to when her hand suddenly felt cold. Lisa was nowhere to be seen and the brunette felt anxious without the blonde by her side. Excusing herself, she walked around, craning her head to find a glimpse of the writer, and it didn't take long for her to find Lisa.

The blonde was standing in the front porch of the main house, isolated from everyone else. Her face was scrunched up in concentration, examining something on her iPhone.

Curious, Jennie stealthily approached Lisa, making sure not to make any noise. The music blaring from the band playing at the stage in the party tent muffled her footsteps. Behind the blonde, Jennie stood on her toes to get a peek.

Lisa was checking out a photo on Instagram.

"Since when are you and Dahyun following eachother on Instagram?"

The blonde turned in surprise.

"Jennie, how long have you been standing there?"

"Not long." Jennie reached for Lisa's hand holding her iPhone and angled it a bit so she could see.

The actress couldn't even remember being photographed. It was taken yesterday, when she was sitting in front of Lisa. They seemed to be talking when Dahyun had taken the picture.

"I love it." Jennie said, a smile gracing her lips.

"Me too." Lisa admitted.

"We're such a gorgeous couple. Brangelina has nothing on us."

"Who would have thought?"

As Jennie lifted her gaze, their eyes met.

Everytime that happened, Jennie felt everything around them vanish, leaving just the two of them like nothing else mattered. Although no words were spoken, their eyes spoke volumes.

The band started playing 'Be Your Everything' by Boys Like Girls.

Without saying anything, Lisa pulled her wife back to the party tent, in the middle of the crowded dance floor. As they stopped, Jennie just stood there, staring at Lisa. Amused at the lack of reaction, Lisa put her hands on Jennie's hips, and Jennie tensed, standing immobile.

"We've done this on our wedding before. Come on."

"What?"

"What planet are you from?" Lisa grabbed Jennie's hands and lifted them up to her shoulders and wrapped them around her neck. Jennie looked flustered.

Lisa lead Jennie. This was the first time they danced since their wedding. Dancing at that time was fine, they were acting in front of everybody but this, this just felt too intimate. And to Jennie's surprise, she really liked it.

"Relax." Lisa said, wondering why Jennie wasn't at all shy when she held her earlier that morning when they slept in the couch while she stood tensed with her arms wrapped around Lisa's shoulders on the dance floor.

"I am relaxed."

"It's just dancing, Jen. Enjoy the moment."

When Jennie's eyes locked with Lisa's again, she felt so captivated by the intensity that was in there. She felt as if she swallowed her own tongue upon realizing the distance between their faces.

"I had my own share of dances with women." Jennie spoke, talking more to herself rather than Lisa. She thought of those times she danced with different women before, trying to remember how it all felt with other people. This dancing with Lisa was so different. She felt so nervous and she could literally hear her heart pounding against her ribcage. They were too close that for a moment, she was worried that Lisa might feel her heart too.

"I have no doubt about that. You probably have danced with all the women in LA already since you are such a player in the gay community there."

"Fine. Make fun of me all you want. I was just trying to say that I those dances had never been as breathtaking as this." Jennie playfully rolled her eyes.

Both them looked flustered that they had to look away from each other in embarrassment.

"I'm not making fun of you. But you have to shut up now." LIsa said.

"Why?"

"Because this is about to get interesting."

"What do you-"

Jennie was way beyond shocked when Lisa pulled her closer. She could feel the warmth of Lisa's hands on her back, almost as if caressing her. And the feel of the curves of Lisa's body in front of her was making her mind go a bit hazy. She felt as if the air was knocked off of her chest.

Their faces were even closer than before, making Jennie feel Lisa's heavy breathing on her face. She wondered whether it was because Lisa was nervous, or if it was because of something else. She also wondered how she was still standing since she had practically stopped breathing from the moment Lisa placed her arms around her waist.

Five more slow songs later, Lisa was tired. Jennie volunteered to get her drinks so Lisa sat down on the nearest chair and waited for her wife. It wasn't long before Jennie's brother came with his enchanting Kim charm. Before he even asked, Lisa had a clue on what his purpose was.

"You're not going to turn me down just like you did to those poor guys, will you?" Jungkook grinned at her.

"Hey, Jungkook." Lisa smiled.

"So, why don't you get your cute ass off that expensive little chair and dance with me?"

"Nice pick up line, I'm sure all the straight ladies would fall for it."

"If you're not going to dance with your moody wife, why not with her handsome brother, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows, causing Lisa to laugh.

"Haha, you're funny, Jungkook. Wish granted." The blonde took her brother-in-law's hand and let him pull her back to the dance floor.

Barely half into the song, Jungkook spoke.

"My sister always had a thing for drop-dead gorgeous women." He said.

Lisa did not say anything. That fact was obvious, considering Chungha, Tzuyu and Jisoo.

"And she married the best one. I like you the most, Lisa. Just so you know, you're my favorite sister-in-law."

"I am your _only_ sister-in-law. Probably the only one you'll ever have."

"Hey, you'll never know about Yeji." Jungkook joked.

From the bar, Jennie could see her wife dancing with her brother. They were laughing together and the brunette couldn't help but smile at that. Lisa had clicked so much with everyone in her family. Her friends also adored the blonde.

Her eyes were forced away from Lisa and Jungkook when the bartender called her and said that her drinks were ready. As she reached for the two glasses of cocktails, she found Jisoo standing next to her, taking shots.

Jennie raised an eyebrow. Jisoo was the wine kind of girl. Shots weren't her thing.

"Trying to get drunk tonight, baby girl?"

"I just want to welcome the New Year with a bang." Jisoo slurred slightly.

"I don't even have any idea what a _bang_ is supposed to be."

Jisoo did not answer. Jennie looked at her direction and noticed her staring at something. Or someone. When she followed her bestfriend's gaze, she wasn't surprised when her eyes landed on Sehun, who was flirting with someone a few feet away.

She felt sympathy as she saw Jisoo's eyes. It was obvious that the designer was trying to keep a strong façade but Jennie could tell she was breaking inside.

Jisoo's heart was breaking for Sehun.

"Chu."

"Hmm?"

"Why him?" For once, the spite wasn't traceable in Jennie's voice.

"You can't choose who you fall in love with. But I don't know. Maybe I'm just stupid." Apparently, Jisoo had too much to drink.

"You're not stupid." Jennie snatched the shot glass away from Jisoo and placed it far away from the blonde. The designer did not protest. "But I don't want you to get hurt."

"I know."

Jennie let her eyes travel back to Sehun. While she wouldn't openly admit it, she understood him. She _was_ him before Lisa walked into her life. Jumping from one relationship to another wasn't for the purpose of playing around. Jisoo was right. She didn't have Lisa at those times in her life. Lisa meant something to her more than all of her previously relationships and flings combined.

She loved Jisoo, but she wasn't in love with her.

Truth is she was still confused of what being in love meant. She hadn't been in love before so, how as she to tell? Surely, no one had ever made her feel like Lisa did.

She had never canceled any photo shoot or guest appearances for anyone before just so she could spend the day lounging around the house with them.

She hadn't let herself suffer through someone's awful cooking before either.

She had never made an effort to pick someone up every single day.

She had never postponed rest just to watch someone teach dance.

She had never risked being in a crowded amusement park just to surprise someone on their birthday.

Except for Lisa.

The list of 'never-had-I-ever' on Jennie's head went longer, but it all ended with the same conclusion.

Except for Lisa.

Lisa also caused this riot inside her heart every damn time.

If that wasn't love, then she didn't know what is.

"Chu?" Jennie called her bestfriend again.

"What?"

"Do you really love him?"

"Yes."

And Jennie understood. She totally understood why Jisoo was wasting all of this time for Sehun. She wasn't being stupid. She was being patient.

"Just… don't let him hurt you." Jennie said with a look of concern.

It was time to let Jisoo go.

Jennie had never felt so free.

With that, Jennie picked up their drinks and walked towards her wife. She faked a cough, causing both Lisa and Jungkook's head to turn.

"As much as I admire your efforts to get to know my wife, dear brother, can I take her back now?"

"Sure thing, sis." Jungkook smiled as he stepped back.

Lisa gladly accepted the glass of drink from Jennie and followed her to the front porch of the main house where she had isolated herself a few hours ago. The blonde actually liked being there. They were far from the crowd and it was peaceful and quiet. From there, they could also see the fireworks display from every part of town.

"So, how did my brother convince you to dance with him?"

"He's quite charming."

"Jungkook? His ego is bigger than the size of Manhattan."

"You have the same eyes."

"Huh?"

"Sexy, soulful, brown eyes."

Jennie gulped her cocktail, unsuccessfully hiding her blushing cheeks.

They both stood in silence enjoying their drinks as they watched the never-ending fireworks display. The band stopped playing. Just as they silently guesses, the countdown to New Year was about to start. The vocalist was saying things that neither of them really cared about.

"It's almost New Year's eve." Jennie spun around to face Lisa.

"Is that a code for something?"

Jennie smiled.

The vocalist then began counting from ten.

The crowd joined from nine.

Lisa mouthed the eight.

Jennie counted from seven.

Six…

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One.

Jennie leaned closer, her lips capturing Lisa's. The kiss lasted for a few seconds, their tongues brushing against each other more than once. When they pulled away, Jennie kept their forehead pressed together.

"Happy New Year, Mrs. Lalisa Manoban-Kim."

Lisa was surprised with their surnames, but she liked the sound of it.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

On her search for caffeine early the following morning, Jennie found Jisoo in the kitchen crying.

"Chu, what happened?" Jennie rushed to her bestfriend's side.

"I'm fine." Jisoo avoided looking at Jennie.

But Jennie wasn't having any of it.

"Tell me what happened." The brunette was adamant to know.

"I'm going back to bed." Jisoo attempted to get away, not really wanting to tell Jennie, but her bestfriend was fast to stop her.

Jennie grabbed Jisoo by the arm, forcing her to turn around.

"I'm not going to stand here and pretend that I don't see my bestfriend hurting, Jisoo. You're going to tell me what happened, and you're going to tell me now."

Jisoo swallowed. Jennie just used that tone on her, and she called her by her full name. The brunette usually just called her Chu or baby girl. It only meant one thing.

It meant Jisoo should tell her or Jennie would pry the information out from someone else.

The designer let out a deep sigh.

She was trapped.

"Jennie, please don't-"

"It's Sehun, isn't it? He hurt you."

"Jen-"

"What did he do?"

"I don't want to cause any trouble with you. Can you please just leave this alone, Jennie?"

"Jisoo."

There was that again. That full name.

Jisoo looked away. She just couldn't look at her bestfriend's eyes.

Closing her eyes, she confessed.

"He called Lisa's…"

"What?" Jennie's voice raised and Jisoo flinched.

"We were… I was in his room. We were making out. He- he called out Lisa's name." The last part came out like a whisper but Jennie heard her perfectly.

Before Jisoo could say anything further, Jennie was already out of the door. She ran after her.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

At 5 a.m. when the party was long over, Lisa woke up to an empty bed.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

At the front porch of the main house where Lisa and Jennie spent their first New Year together, Sehun stood with a cigarette in his hand. He was looking far out, staring at nothing in particular. What happened a few minutes ago with Jisoo shouldn't have happened. He knew he shouldn't have let it. Both of them were vulnerable at the moment and he let himself get carried away.

Sehun knew he had no one else to blame but himself.

He already hurt Jisoo. He regretted hurting her. And he knew Jisoo wasn't going to be the only one hurt in this equation. He felt like he had just set the wheels on motion.

Well, he was right.

Still, nothing could have prepared Sehun for the fist that came swinging right into his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...


	11. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder: this is a jenlisa adaptation, i'm not the author of this fic

Sehun had no idea what hit him.

The fist that made contact with his face felt small, but it was powerful enough to send him tumbling down. The floorboards squeaked as his body hit the wooden porch floor with a loud thud. He rolled in pain; his hands clutching at his nose and groaning as he felt the sticky liquid which no doubt was blood trickling down.

He was still reeling at the force of the punch that caused his vision to blur and head to spin. As he opened his eyes, Sehun made out two figures towering at him. He could hear them arguing. After a few seconds, he finally heard them clearly. Jisoo was trying to pacify Jennie and pulling her away by the arm but seeing that anger fueled Jennie, he doubted Jisoo could stop her.

Sehun should have anticipated it.

_Sehun sat by the edge of his bed, his face on his hands. Jisoo was picking up the clothes that strewn the floor. Tensed silence permeated the room. It was strange, how the atmosphere was so different than just a few minutes ago. But he uttered one word. No, one name, and as soon as it came out of Sehun's mouth, Jisoo was forced out of her lust-filled haze._

_When their eyes met, Sehun saw the pair of brown eyes filled with pain, surprise, and disbelief. There might also have been some anger there. He couldn't believe himself. He couldn't believe he called out that name, when he was kissing Jisoo. He couldn't believe that he gave in and actually went this far with Jisoo. He lasted so many years avoiding anything intimate with the brunette designer, knowing that he'd just hurt her. He knew they were better off as friends. But today, that was exactly what he did. He let himself get carried away and took advantage of Jisoo's vulnerability._

_He was the cause of her pain._

_"Who's Lisa?" Jisoo's soft voice trembled. She coaxed him to admit which of the girls he dated was the Lisa he was referring to. She had a feeling that she already knew her._

_JIsoo was holding back her tears. This situation was embarrassing enough as it was; she had to at least try to preserve some of her dignity._

_Sehun did not answer. He just turned his eyes away. He couldn't bear looking at those eyes anymore._

_"Do you have feelings for Lisa?" It was clear who Jisoo was referring to. She did catch the glances Sehun stole from the writer, but she didn't think much of it. She honestly believed that it meant nothing._

_Until Sehun called out Lisa's name._

_Again, he did not respond. He figured it would be better not to. He didn't know what to say. He knew it was wrong to feel something for Lisa. But could anyone really blame him? It wasn't intentional. The blonde writer just made him feel things. He didn't even know those kinds of feelings exist before._

_"Oh my god. She's married, Sehun. To our friend! She's Jennie's wife!" Jisoo was seething now. Sehun jumped in surprise._

_An angry Jisoo was a rare sight._

_"Say something!" She threw Sehun's shirt at him._

_"Jennie better not screw it up then." He said._

_Jisoo stared at him in disbelief. The tears she had been holding were streaming down her cheeks; her feelings, a mash of everything._

_"I can't believe this." She shook her head in disappointment. She was disappointed with herself. She was disappointed with Sehun. She was disappointed she let herself get carried away by the_ _feelings that blinded her._

_Jisoo turned to leave the room. But before she could reach the door, Sehun spoke._

_"I'm sorry…"_

_He sounded sincere. But Jisoo didn't care. All she felt was pain and anger._

_Without another word, she left._

_There was no turning back._

Jennie's sweltering gaze was fixed on Sehun. Jennie struggled free from the hands that were restraining her, and when she managed to escape from her bestfriend's grasp, Sehun closed his eyes, preparing himself for the onslaught of strong punches and vicious words he was sure Jennie was intent on giving him.

He really wasn't planning on fighting back.

If Lisa was his, he would have done the same thing.

"You son of a-"

"Jennie!"

Jennie heard her, but she didn't stop nor turn to see who it was. She didn't need to. But she was so furious. She wanted nothing but to bash Sehun again, not caring even if her fist hurt. Jennie had a temper but this was the worst it had been. She had never been this angry in her life. She was bent down, her fist midair towards Sehun's face again when a pair of arms wrapped around her midsection and forcefully yanked her backwards.

"Jennie! What are you doing! Stop it, you're hurting him!" Lisa yelped.

Jennie tried to struggle free but Lisa was stronger than her.

"Lili, let me go…" Jennie said, panting from her previous exertion. She tried to calm herself, but her eyes were still fixed on Sehun who was slowly getting up. She almost smirked when he stood up and swayed, glad that she was actually able to do some damage.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on here?" Lisa tightened her arms around Jennie when the brunette didn't stop struggling.

"I said let me go." Jennie's voice was more adamant this time.

"I'll let you go if you promise not to beat him again."

"So what if I hurt _him_?" The actress pointed rudely at Sehun, speaking with so much venom, it surprised even Jisoo. "Why do you care about _him_?"

"I just don't want you to hurt anyone." Lisa loosened her hold on Jennie, surprised at the tone her wife was giving her.

As soon as Jennie was free from Lisa's restraint, she stormed down the porch and into the wide field, not really knowing where to go or what to do. She needed air, she needed to calm herself. She needed to be away from everyone else because no one was safe from her fury. Not even Lisa.

"Why did you do that? What's going on, Jennie?"

Jennie didn't even know that Lisa followed her.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jennie snapped.

Lisa quickened her steps to catch up with her wife.

"Why did you hit Sehun?" Lisa asked.

"Because he fucking deserves it!" Jennie wasn't able to hold it back. She stopped walking and faced the blonde.

Lisa looked at Jennie and studied her. She looked like she was actually going to explode. When she woke up alone in bed, she went to search for Jennie, but finding him beating up Sehun was the last thing on her mind.

Needless to say, she wanted to know the reason why.

Although truthfully, she was petrified to know.

"He used to be your friend. Why do you hate him so much?" Lisa wondered what really changed their dynamics. She was sure they were really close when they were still children. Jennie said so herself. Even grandma told her stories about Jennie's friendship with Sehun.

She knew Jisoo caused the rift in their friendship.

_Was she still the cause now?_

Lisa's heart ached at the thought.

"Why do you care so much about him?" Jennie raised her voice in frustration. This conversation was going to be all about Sehun and honestly, she'd had enough of him for the rest of the year.

"You really hurt him. I think you broke his nose."

"Well, I'd fucking break his face next time I see him!"

"He didn't even fight back. Stop acting like a child, Jennie."

"Are you seriously taking his side?"

"I'm not taking anyone's side."

"Does he really matter to you?" Jennie's voice cracked at that question, but it seemed that Lisa didn't notice.

Lisa sighed. This conversation was exhausting and it was too early in the morning.

"What's going on with you, Jennie?" Lisa was concerned.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_. You think this is my fault?" Jennie mocked her.

"I didn't even say that."

"Well, you sounded like it!"

"Jennie, you're being defensive."

"Defensive? You don't even know what he did!"

"Then tell me! Just tell me!"

Jennie did not answer. She was hurt that Lisa seemed to be more concerned about Sehun and his nose. What, she was hurting too. Her knuckles were sure to bruise in a few hours. She did win in hurting Sehun physically, but was he actually winning Lisa's sympathy?

It was causing the walls to build up around Jennie.

It was her defense mechanism.

"What for? You already think of me as the bad guy. What do you know about Sehun? Your asshat of a boss is no saint. He'd do this world a service if he'd just jump out of an airplane without a parachute."

There was a question Lisa had been afraid to ask. But she had to.

"Is this about Jisoo?"

She did wake up without Jennie in bed at 5:00 a.m., and found her supposed wife beating up Sehun. Jisoo who was in love with Sehun, was there. It was Jisoo that Jennie originally wanted to marry. While Lisa's marriage with Jennie was based on a contract with an expiration date.

Imagine how it looked like in Lisa's point of view.

"What?"

"She loves Sehun, doesn't she?"

"So?"

"You still love her."

"Not in the way you think. She's my bestfriend. That's it."

Lisa didn't look like she believed Jennie one bit.

The conversation was draining for her. She decided to turn and just leave. But Jennie wasn't done.

"So you're acting jealous now? You don't even care about me. You cared more about what I did to Sehun's face!"

"You care more about Jisoo than you care about me!" Lisa yelled back. Her mind drifted back to Jennie's fishbowl-full of paper cranes, her tons of childhood photographs with Jisoo, and that day when Jennie forgot their dinner date when she took care of the sick fashion designer.

"If you keep acting like that, I might actually believe that you're falling for me."

Lisa swallowed the lump that formed in her throat.

It was as if everything around her was falling apart and all that was left was her pride.

"I'm not."

"Tell me. Tell me how you really feel. Tell me now." Jennie demanded.

"I don't have to answer that."

"Well, I demand an answer! I want to know!"

"Don't yell at me! You told me not to fall in love with you!"

Jennie felt like a bucket of ice cold water was poured on her. She stared back at Lisa whose eyes were brimming with tears. She wanted to reach closer and wipe them away, but she was frozen to where she stood. She couldn't move.

"What?" That came out like a squeak from Jennie's lips.

Lisa sighed deeply.

"Sometimes I forget that our whole relationship was based on a contract. But I don't care. I don't care anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"This is getting complicated, Jennie. Things were simpler when we hated each other."

"But I… I didn't hate you."

"Just… let's just keep in mind that we have a contract. Maybe we should… I think we should tone everything down and keep our distance. It works." Before the tears started falling from Lisa's eyes, she had turned her back and walked her way back to the main house.

It took a few seconds for Jennie to recover from her shock.

Why did it feel like goodbye?

Her eyes snapped to Lisa's retreating figure. She sprinted after her.

"Fine! Fine, walk away from me. Are you sure this isn't just an excuse for you to spend more time with Sehun? So you could give him hope? If he's your fucking knight in shining armor, why don't you marry him then? I don't care anymore either because you mean nothing to me anyway." It was a defensive thing for Jennie to say, a way to soothe her bruised ego. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she immediately knew it was a mistake.

Lisa stopped from walking but did not turn around.

It hurt.

It hurt _so_ much to hear that you meant nothing to someone. Especially when that someone was starting to become your whole world.

"Lili, I didn't…" Jennie's jaw hit the ground.

_"Jennie has a temper but has a good heart. Sometimes, when she's angry, she says things that she doesn't really mean. You have to be patient with her."_

Those were her father-in-law's words. She closed her eyes as the memory of her conversation with him before the wedding flashed in her mind. True, Jennie had a temper. They were both angry and possibly just pushed each other to the edge.

But whether Jennie meant it or not, it didn't matter.

Words never hurt so much before.

Until now.

"I know." That was all Lisa managed to say. It sounded more like a whisper. She was about to break and had to get away, so she ran.

The sound of Lisa's voice broke Jennie's heart.

Jennie couldn't believe what she had just said.

"That wasn't… Lili, I-"

Lisa was crying, and Jennie could tell by the way her shoulders trembled. Jennie ran after her.

"Lili! I'm- I didn't… Lili!"

Jennie couldn't catch up with the blonde. As she watched the front door slam close, she gave up. She hated herself for saying those things. She hated herself for making Lisa cry.

Tears flowed from her eyes.

How can everything that was perfect turn all fucked-up all of a sudden?

The sun had already risen from the East when Jennie realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch. Lisa locked her out of their bedroom, and Jennie had no choice but to wait. Her eyes felt sore.

She recalled crying herself to sleep.

As the memories of what happened flooded her mind, she didn't want to move. She wanted to stay there and go back to sleep. Maybe her dream would be better than reality right now.

She was about to close her eyes when she heard someone faking a cough. When she turned her head, she found her brother sitting on the opposite chair, looking at her with concern.

The house was eerily quiet so Jennie assumed that everybody was still in bed considering the time the party ended.

Jennie didn't get up. She just hugged a throw pillow and looked back at Jungkook. Her lips quivered and tears streamed from her eyes. Jungkook was fast to go to her side and pull her up for a hug.

"Shh… everything's gonna be fine." Jungkook rocked his sister in his arms. He felt her shoulders tremble as Jennie sobbed against his chest.

"You don't even know what happened."

"Well, maybe not the exact details but you're obviously in the dog house right now."

That only made Jennie cry harder.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. Just… man, I'm not good at this." Jungkook just hugged his sister tighter and let her cry.

It took a few minutes before Jennie calmed down.

"I screwed up big time, Jungkook." Jennie said. Her arms were wrapped around her brother's torso.

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't fix, Jennie."

"No, you don't understand. I said some really hurtful things. I hurt Lili. She's hurting because of me." Jennie was sobbing again.

"You love her, right?"

"Yes." She answered without a beat.

"So, you'll do anything to make it up to her."

"Of course I will."

"Give her time. She loves you too, Jennie. You just got to give her some space for a while. Whatever you did, I know she can forgive you."

"What if she can't? What if she doesn't forgive me?" That scared Jennie.

"Jennie, you two are the sappiest, cheesiest, most disgustingly in love couple that I'd ever seen in my life. What you're saying is impossible."

"You think so?"

"What, that it's impossible?"

"No, the in love part."

Jungkook chuckled.

"Yeah. I think you deserve a trophy for that."

Jennie pulled away from Jungkook and got up from the couch.

"Maybe I should bring her some breakfast."

"She's on her way back to your house, Jennie."

"What?"

"I drove her back to mom and dad's to get that new car you gave her. She drove back to Eagle Rock on her own."

"Oh."

"Hey. I told you, she just needed space. When you get home, fix her some dinner and give her some flowers. Maybe a massage later. Tell her how sorry you are and make love to her all night. Believe me, it will work."

Jennie blushed at the lovemaking part.

"I wish it were that easy."

"You're a Kim. Don't be such a wuss."

Jennie went home to an empty house at exactly lunch time.

Most of her friends were asleep when she left the ranch. Unfortunately however, Nayeon was awake and wouldn't stop bugging her with questions about where Lisa and Sehun were. Sehun, obviously, had to leave early to get his nose fixed and Lisa, well, she had to get away from Jennie. Nobody else had to know that, though.

Jisoo simply explained that Sehun had some business thing to do. Jennie lied that Lisa had to finish choreographing a dance routine at home. Nayeon eventually moved on to different topics, none of which Jennie could remember as she was thinking of her wife the whole time.

A small smile played on Jennie's lips as she found food that Lisa left for her on the dining table. That meant she still cared, right? Happily, she spoiled herself with her wife's awful cooking, but her delight was short-lived as she realized how lonesome it was to eat alone.

She had been used to having meals with Lisa.

Even when she was at Taehyung's office and couldn't go home, or when she had a photoshoot somewhere accessible, Lisa would drop by so they could eat their meal together. Jennie didn't realize how much she enjoyed those times until now.

She lost her appetite.

It had been hours. Lisa still wasn't home and Jennie was starting to worry. She wanted to call the blonde but remembered what Jungkook had said. She had to give Lisa some space. The best option would be to just wait.

Waiting was torture.

Jennie kept glancing at her phone, hoping that at least her wife would send a text message. She also kept checking the time.

It was already dark outside when the door opened and Lisa walked in. Jennie was on the couch in the living room, her eyes focused at the blonde. Although Lisa seemed to notice Jennie's presence, she didn't bother a glance. Instead, she just went straight upstairs, to her bedroom.

Jennie felt her heart clench.

She got up from her seat and followed the blonde. Her bedroom door was closed.

Taking in a deep breath, Jennie knocked. As expected, she didn't get an answer. She tried knocking again, and still, Lisa ignored her.

"Lili, can we talk?"

There was no answer. Jennie pressed her ear against the door and heard nothing. She knocked again.

"Sweetheart, pl-" Jennie jumped backwards when the door suddenly opened, revealing an irate-looking Lisa.

"You don't have to pretend when no one's watching." Lisa snapped. Without closing the door, she walked back to her bed.

Jennie didn't know whether the door was left open for her, but she entered the room anyway. She found the blonde sitting down on the bed, eyes fixed on the floor. She wrung her hands together, nervous and unsure of what to say. She had been thinking of the right words all day but nothing seemed enough.

"I didn't mean what I said." Jennie spoke, hoping that Lisa would look up her way.

Lisa still didn't look at her.

"Which part?"

The blonde was still furious and she wasn't exerting any effort to hide it.

"Lili, I'm not good at this." Jennie sounded so small.

"Obviously." Lisa mumbled.

Jennie took a few steps closer and Lisa visibly flinched. The actress stopped three feet away and knelt down on both knees. She was tilting her head, urging Lisa to meet her eyes. When she made an effort to reach for her wife's hand, the writer was fast to pull both her hands away.

"You mean something to me." Jennie said with utmost sincerity.

Lisa sighed. Reluctantly, she tore her gaze away from the floor and met Jennie's pleading eyes.

"Words are just words, Jennie."

"No, please, I… you mean _everything_ to me."

Their eyes locked, and for a few seconds they stayed like that; just looking at each other. Both could see the other's pain.

"I…"

_I love you._

Jennie's voice caught up in her throat. She couldn't say the words. They were three simple words but she couldn't say them. She wanted to tell Lisa that she was everything that was good in her life. It hardly seemed the right time or place to confess. Her wife was hurt and still angry.

She needed her forgiveness first.

"I'm sorry."

Those weren't the words she wanted to say. But it also needed to be said.

"I need space."

"What?" Jennie squeaked. "Are you breaking up with me?" Her voice trembled with fear.

"No. I just… we have another year left. I don't know how I'm going to go through that but I'll try my best. I can promise to be civil, but when we're alone, just give me space."

The brunette wasn't sure what exactly it was that Lisa wanted. For how long was she supposed to give her wife that space? What did that even mean? As much as Jennie wanted to ask, she really wasn't in the position to.

She just nodded.

"I'm tired." Lisa said.

Jennie didn't have to ask what the blonde actually meant. She was being asked to leave. Hesitantly, she got up. There were a few questions lingering in her mind, like where had Lisa been and was she already forgiven. But it was too soon. Jennie knew that. Her eyes went about the room and found the huge gym bag that Lisa always brought to the dance studio. She came in with that when she came home. At least she could be sure that Lisa wasn't with Sehun.

"Uhm, are you sleeping here tonight?" Jennie asked. She dreaded to hear the answer although she already knew what it would be.

"Where else would I be sleeping? This is my room." Lisa replied in a dismissive tone.

That stung. It had only been days, a few weeks max that they shared a bed. No matter how short the time had been, she didn't remember what it was like sleeping alone, nor did she want to remember. But tonight, the other side of her bed would be cold.

No more spooning, no more secret morning kisses.

Sorrow enveloped her heart.

Her eyes swelled with tears, but the brunette managed to control it from streaming down her face. She needed to be strong. She had to accept the punishment for what she said to her wife. She'd just let Lisa cool off and she'd think of something to make it up to her.

"Oh. Okay, uhm, it's just… I'm gonna miss you." Jennie turned around without waiting any response. She was already by the door when the lone tear escaped her eyes. Hastily wiping it away, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

She really did screw it up.

Lisa sat staring at the door.

"I'm going to miss you too." The blonde whispered to no one in particular.

Neither was able to sleep that night.

"This is what you meant by keeping distance? You're not going to talk to me?" Jennie stormed into the dining room where Lisa was busy typing away in her laptop. She was holding a piece of paper in her hand. That was actually the third she got that day that was stuck on the door of the fridge.

She found the first one that morning. Lisa scribbled down a note saying that she'd be out having coffee with Chaeyoung.

The second one just said that they should go to the grocery tomorrow as they were running out of supplies. She thought that was weird because Lisa was in her room and she could have just told her in person.

And now Jennie was holding the third. That was the last straw. Because Lisa was there sitting in the dining room and all the note said was that it was Jennie's turn to do the house chores.

She wondered what the hell was going on.

Instead of getting an answer, Lisa just looked at her.

"Seriously, if I want to talk to you, I have to post my message on the fridge now?"

"I'm writing, Jennie." Lisa calmly explained.

"Are you that busy you couldn't be bothered to yell what you wanted to say to me?" Jennie was frustrated.

"I told you, I'm writing." Lisa just turned her attention back to her laptop.

"That's it?"

"Jennie, can we talk about this later? I'm trying to finish something here."

"You're obviously still mad at me. I get that. I don't blame you. Punch me, scream at me. Do anything you want to me but please, don't stop talking to me."

Lisa looked up at her. She looked sympathetic, but she didn't say anything.

"Lili please, are you trying to kill me here?"

No answer.

"If you're trying to hurt me back, you're doing an amazing job at it." Jennie threw the piece of paper on the table and stormed out of the house.

When Jennie came back later, Lisa was nowhere to be seen. She tried to cool off by taking a walk. She sighed. She couldn't really blame Lisa for avoiding her or for not wanting to talk to her. If the situation was reversed and it was Lisa who told her she meant nothing, would she have acted the same?

Jennie knew she would have been worse.

All she wanted was to hear Lisa's voice.

All she wanted was a normal conversation with her.

Brown eyes fell on the laptop that was left turned on at the dining table. She walked towards it with an idea in her head.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa found her laptop turned off as she came back from the bathroom.

She panicked.

Immediately, she turned it on again, hoping that her files were saved. She had been writing since morning and had typed in about fifteen pages. The last time she remembered saving it was thirty minutes ago. Clicking on some folders, she found her file. As soon as she clicked it open, she knew something was wrong.

It was either auto-save didn't work or someone was an idiot.

Her eyes searched for a particular brunette. They locked dangerously on the actress who was currently perched on the couch, reading a book. Lisa marched towards her with a purpose.

"Did you turn my laptop off?" Lisa stopped in front of Jennie, her arms crossed.

Jennie, feigning innocence, pried her eyeglass-covered eyes away from her book and to Lisa.

"I thought you were done. You were wasting electricity."

Lisa's jaw clenched in annoyance and gave her wife a look that said 'are you for real?'.

"I lost half of my file." She tried to calm herself but the rise in her voice was noticeable.

"What file?" Jennie quirked an eyebrow. Of course she knew what file. She just wanted to keep this conversation going.

"I've been writing since morning, Jennie!" Lisa yelled in frustration. She was going to have to recall everything she had written down and try to write it again. "How could you- damn it. Just… stay away from my things." She walked back to her place in the dining room, not really in the mood to write anymore.

Lisa was clutching her own hair when a memory stick was placed in front of her.

Slowly, lifted her gaze, her eyes falling on her wife who was sitting opposite her. And then she realized something.

"You think it's funny? Is it your hobby to torture me?" Lisa growled at Jennie.

"I wouldn't say that it's a hobby. But at least it got you talking to me." The brunette smiled triumphantly.

"You know what? You're a jerk, a douche and a terrible, terrible person! I hate you the more than anyone!" To say that Lisa was frustrated would be an understatement. Jennie wasn't the only one who says things they didn't mean when they were angry.

Well, that definitely stung.

"I know you're not ready to forgive me. I deserve that. I just… I want to be able to talk to you again."

"That still wasn't funny." Lisa retorted.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

Lisa let out a deep breath. Jennie watched as the blonde closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to calm her nerves.

"I know I crossed the line when I said those awful things. I wish I could take it back. But I told you, I didn't mean it. Sometimes, when I'm angry, I don't think and I just say hurtful things. I'm so sorry." Jennie apologized again.

Lisa could see how genuine Jennie was being, but she remained sitting silently. Her wife's words were still fresh in her mind, it still hurt as much. A part of her wanted to just let it go, but another part of her didn't agree.

"I don't want to talk to the fridge anymore. It's ridiculous. It doesn't even talk back!" Jennie was then surprised to see the gloom in her wife's eyes. "Hey, don't be sad. Lili? You want ice cream?" Jennie asked, hoping that something sweet would cheer Lisa up.

_Lisa's eyes stopped at another framed photo of two little children on top of the study table. She recognized the brunette one as Jennie (that dimple gave her away) and the blonde one was Jisoo. They were locked in an embrace, as if they didn't want to let go._

_"When we were little, everytime I get sad, Jisoo would make a paper crane for me. Those are all the paper cranes she made me."_

_"You must have been very sad a lot." There was an obvious strain in Lisa's voice. She reached for the framed photo and turned it away from her, losing all interest to see the rest of the room._

_"Chu was the one who had always been there for me. And I had been there for her as well. Everytime she cried,_ **_I bought her ice cream_ ** _, so she would stop." Jennie smiled fondly at the memories._ _It didn't take long for her to notice that Lisa had stayed silent. "Lili? Why aren't you saying anything?"_

"Ice cream?" Lisa asked as she snapped out of her trip down memory lane.

Jennie nodded.

"We have ice cream in the fridge."

At the mention of ice cream again, Lisa's expression hardened. She glared at Jennie.

"I hate ice cream literally more than anything in the world. I wouldn't eat it even if I got paid!"

Jennie jumped backwards in fear, wondering what cause her wife to go ballistic like that. She watched as Lisa slammed her laptop close and ran upstairs.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

"Oh gosh, he's so cute!" Lisa gushed. Bambam was showing her a photo of his newborn son, Joowon, on his iPad. It was too early to tell who the baby was taking after, but judging by the picture, Bambam had an edge over Chaeyoung.

The blonde was at the dance studio, too early for her classes and there weren't even any student around yet. Jennie, on the other hand, was at the film studios in LA for a fitting of her Batwoman costume.

"I know, right?" Bambam couldn't contain the big smile on his face. He had been smiling everyday since Chaeyoung gave birth to their son just before Christmas.

"Can I see him?" Lisa said excitedly.

"Well, you're just in luck because Chae's coming in with Joowonie right now."

Lisa spun around towards the direction of the door and saw her friend Chaeyoung holding a baby basket on her right hand. Just like Bambam, she had that huge smile as she entered the dance studio. The blonde rushed to her friend, eager to see their little boy. Chaeyoung placed the baby basket on top of a nearby table.

"Hey! Congratulations!" Lisa hugged her friend before walking to the baby basket. She couldn't help but smile seeing little Joowon sleeping so soundly like nothing in the world matter.

"Thanks, Lisa. It's so great to see you." Chaeyoung said.

Bambam walked up to her girlfriend and held her hand, both smiling at Lisa as their friend reached down, gently touching Joowon's little hands, trying not to wake him up.

"He's so little." The blonde cooed.

"It's unbelievable, right?" Chaeyoung sighed in contentment.

Bambam gave his girlfriend a kiss on the lips and left the women alone with their baby. He figured they needed a moment.

"You'll have your own one day." Chaeyoung took a few steps closer towards her friend.

Lisa smiled, but she didn't say anything. She stared back at her friends' baby, imagining what it would be like if she was staring at her own. A familiar set of twins crossed her mind, making her stomach flutter.

"What?" Chaeyoung asked.

"What?" Lisa seemed surprised at the question.

"What's with that look?"

"What look?"

"Lisa, I've know you since we were children. You can't hide anything from me. What's wrong?" Chae softly asked.

"Nothing." Lisa mumbled.

Chaeyoung smiled knowingly.

"Couples fight. It's normal."

"How did you-"

"You're only ever like that when you're fighting with Jennie. What did she do this time?" Chaeyoung didn't sound accusing. She just sounded concerned.

Lisa did not answer right away. She debated whether she wanted to share her worries with Chae. When her eyes meet her friend's, she saw the encouraging look. Finally, although hesitantly, she opened up.

"We were arguing, and then she said some hurtful things."

"What did she say?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Was she sorry?"

"Yes." Lisa absent-mindedly played with the hem of Joowon's small shirt.

"Do you think she meant it? The hurtful things she said, I mean."

"She said she didn't."

"Do you believe her?"

"I don't know. But either way, it hurts, you know." Lisa mentally berated herself for allowing her voice to break. Now Chaeyoung could see how hurt she was. She felt embarrassed.

Chaeyoung took the last step towards her friend and made her turned around. When Lisa finally faced her with those sad pair of doe eyes, Chaeyoung wrapped her arms around her.

"Lisa, everything's going to be okay." Chaeyoung whispered.

"How do you know?"

"I just know. I've never seen you as happy with anyone else as you are with Jennie. She's scary sometimes but a total catch, nonetheless."

Lisa chuckled at that. As she pulled away, she saw Bambam talking to someone by the door. It was a short conversation. He then walked in with a uniformed guy behind him.

"Hate to break this little girl bonding time you have, but someone's looking for you, Lis." Bambam pointed to the uniformed guy.

Lisa's eyebrows creased in confusion, trying to recall if she ordered something or if she'd met him before. She exchanged looks with Chaeyoung.

"Lisa Manoban-Kim?" The guy asked.

"Uhm, yeah. That's me." Lisa still wasn't used to their combined surnames, but she couldn't deny how good it felt to be called that.

"Can you sign here, please?" Uniformed guy handed her an electronic device and a stylus pen. He pointed where Lisa was supposed to sign.

"What's this for?" Lisa asked.

"For this." He handed Lisa a huge bouquet of red roses.

The blonde was surprised. She didn't even notice him holding those flowers. Chaeyoung held the bouquet for her so she could sign. By the look on Chaeyoung's face, Lisa didn't have to look at the card to know from whom it came from. She handed the electronic device to the uniformed guy, expecting him to leave.

"So, where are we going to put the others?" Uniformed guy asked.

Lisa and Chaeyoung exchanged looks again.

"Uhm, others?" Lisa arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah." He answered. Just then, more uniformed guys came in, carrying bouquets and vases full of different flowers.

Lisa gaped in surprise and disbelief.

Chaeyoung grinned.

Bambam instructed the delivery guys where to put the flowers. If he counted correctly, there were almost a dozen vases and a dozen bouquets. It filled the hallway to the different classrooms and the reception area. He scratched his head in amusement. It was going to be a little bit more crowded as soon as their students arrive. Bambam thanked the delivery guys as Lisa seemed to be incapable of speaking at the moment.

"Must have been one hell of a fight." Chaeyoung remarked as she handed the bouquet back to an open-mouthed Lisa.

Lisa was still speechless. She picked up the card from the bouquet and read Jennie's childish handwriting. It only contained one sentence.

_You have a beautiful smile._

And she realized she was actually smiling.

"I'm giving her A for effort. You should forgive her already." Chaeyoung smiled. Joowon stirred in his sleep and let out a little cry, so her mother picked him up to lull him back to sleep.

Lisa was still staring at the card.

"Come on Lisa, lighten up. Your wife is trying to woo you. I mean, I didn't even realize people still do that. Or maybe it's just Jennie. Gosh. Who would have thought she's so romantic." Chaeyoung chuckled.

Lisa pulled out her iPhone and clicked on her contacts. Jennie was first on her list. Before she could press on Jennie's name though, she changed her mind. She didn't really know what to say.

No matter what Jennie did, it seemed Lisa was intent on minimizing contact with her.

She did get a thank you for the tons of flowers she sent her wife, but aside from that, there wasn't anything else. Maybe Jennie was a bit presumptuous thinking that Lisa would just run into her arms and confess her love by sending her flowers, but a girl can dream, right?

At least they didn't communicate through post-it notes on the fridge anymore. They talk, but not as much as Jennie wanted to. Lisa only talked to her whenever necessary.

It was killing Jennie.

When Lisa wasn't busy writing, she'd be out at the dance studio, or worse, discussing projects with Sehun.

Like, right now.

Meeting with Sehun had become an every other day thing now.

Just the idea made her want to confront Sehun again, but knowing it wasn't going to help mend her relationship with Lisa, she controlled herself.

It was quite a feat.

She didn't trust Sehun, but she trusted Lisa's words. The blonde did say she didn't like Sehun more than a friend. Although it also scared Jennie that Lisa said she wasn't closing her doors.

Well, Sehun was never ever going to get near that door. Jennie was going to make sure of that.

She was alone in their house, staring at their wedding picture up in their living room wall. Her pre-production work in Batwoman was just finished and filming would start in a month, so she had nothing to do. She had cleaned the house twice already. She even cleaned the pool.

Jennie glanced at her watch. It seemed that time was going slow. She kept checking the time and checking the door for any sign of Lisa.

She blew the stray strand of hair that dangled on her face.

Bored. To. Death.

More than a year ago, she took pleasure of times like this, when she could be alone and there was no one to bother her, when she could just spend the rest of the day reading a book or catching up to her favorite TV shows.

Now, times like this just made her lonely.

Times like this made her miss Lisa.

_Damn it._

Lisa was gone barely three hours and Jennie felt like she was going crazy. The blonde never left her mind since she woke up. Even when she was scrubbing the bathtub, she thought of Lisa.

_I have to do something._

Jennie got up. She wasn't in the mood to watch TV and she'd probably end up daydreaming about Lisa anyway, so she decided not to do that. She wasn't going to clean the house for the third time, so she crossed that on the list as well. When she walked into the laundry room, she found a stack of freshly washed clothes (mostly hers), and there were some clothes on a basket that were still to be washed. Without anything better to do, the actress took the initiative to continue what Lisa must have been doing before she left.

The brunette checked the washer and saw the white garments that Lisa left to soak. She turned the washer on and after a few minutes, it was done. She opened the washer and reached down. As she pulled the white garments up to place them into the dryer, she froze.

White garments turned out to be underwear.

A _very little_ underwear.

Not her own.

They were a few of Lisa's.

"Oh my god, is that mine?" Lisa startled Jennie as she rushed into the laundry room.

Jennie had an idea of how red her face was as she was caught by her wife still holding her panty up in the air. She totally _wasn't_ staring.

Nope.

"Uhm… I'm uh-"

"What are you even doing here? Give that to me." Lisa grabbed the underwear that Jennie was still holding.

"But I'm almost-" Jennie held on. She wasn't sure why she was.

"Jennie, let go." Lisa was flustered in embarrassment.

"No." The brunette pulled the underwear back.

"You're going to rip it." Lisa warned and she pulled back as well.

The thought of ripping that underwear under a totally different circumstance distracted Jennie and she lost focus. As Lisa pulled with force, Jennie was pulled as well, causing the brunette to stumble forward. Lisa tried to catch her wife, but she lost her footing. When the blonde fell backwards, she pulled Jennie with her.

Jennie fell hard on top of Lisa, knocking the air out of the writer's chest.

"Ugh…" Lisa groaned.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I…" Jennie trailed off as her eyes drifted down to Lisa's lips, completely forgetting that she was still lying on top of the blonde.

"No, no, I'm…" Lisa didn't get to finish her sentence as she realized how close their faces were.

Seconds passed and neither of them made a move, underwear long forgotten.

Jennie missed this. She missed being this close to Lisa. She was still enjoying their rather comfortable position on top of each other and staring at each other when the sound of the doorbell yanked them out of their stupor. Reluctantly, she got off her wife and helped her up.

At least that got her a smile.

Jennie felt giddy just seeing Lisa smile.

_Wow, highschool kid much?_

"I'm gonna get that." Suddenly feeling awkward, Jennie rushed to get out of the laundry room, leaving Lisa behind.

At the front door, Jennie opened the door and found Chaeyoung standing at their doorstep.

"Hey. Lili didn't say you we're coming over." Jennie smiled at Chaeyoung, who, instead of entering the house, just stood there like she was about to burst.

Jennie gave her a weird look.

Then Chaeyoung just burst out laughing.

Jennie frowned.

"You're quite a sight, Manoban-Kim." Chaeyoung gave the actress a pat on the back before going into the house.

When Jennie looked at herself in the mirror, she realized what Chae was talking about.

She was quite a sight alright. She looked like an overworked slave in her sweatpants and big shirt, apron and disheveled hair. If she saw herself walking down the street like this, she wouldn't believe she was a Hollywood movie star.

_So much for impressing Lisa._

She decided that tonight was the night.

Jennie was going to confess. It was around 5 pm, too early to prepare for dinner but she was starting her preparations already. Of course, Lisa had no idea what she was planning, but she was certain she could still surprise the blonde considering she was always busy writing her script.

Lisa might not have expressly forgiven her, but their relationship these past few days had been better. They weren't as touchy-feely as the holidays, but at least they were talking again. There were still tensed, awkward moments, but Jennie would take them any day than talk to sticky notes on her fridge.

Most times, she found herself staring at Lisa. She didn't know if the blonde ever noticed, but she was sure she was caught quite a handful of times. The writer never said anything though. Everyday of not being _with_ Lisa was tormenting her. The longing she felt wasn't making it any easier either.

She had to do this.

She was going to tell Lisa that she was in love with her.

Then she heard the footsteps coming downstairs. Jennie looked up from the vegetables she was cutting to see Lisa dressed like she was going to go out.

"Where are you going?"

Usually, when Lisa was done with dance class, she'd be home writing. Jennie wondered where her wife was headed now.

"I have a meeting with Sehun."

Jennie frowned.

"Again? You went to see him this morning." The brunette sounded worried.

"It's work, Jennie. Even though we're not really together, I'm not going to cheat on you."

Jennie felt like she was kicked in the gut upon hearing that 'we're not really together' part.

"We're actually meeting with Jin and Jihyo today. They had a look on one of the scripts I submitted and I think they liked it. They wanted to discuss plans with me." Lisa smiled. She was really excited about this one. She wanted to tell Jennie about the script, but she didn't want to jinx it.

Maybe after the plans were finalized.

"Wow, really?" Jennie felt suddenly proud of her wife.

"Yeah."

"Congrats. I'm so proud of you." Jennie smiled.

Lisa felt her cheeks warm.

"Thanks."

"But you're going back before dinner, right?" The brunette asked, looking hopeful.

"I'll try." Lisa answered. She didn't really know how long the meeting would last. Aside from Jin, Jihyo and Sehun, they'd be meeting with other execs from their film production company.

"Well, be here. I'll wait for you."

"I can't promise what time I'd be home, though."

"It's okay, just be here. I told you. I'll wait."

Lisa nodded.

"But if I'm late, don't starve yourself, alright?"

"I just want to have dinner with you." Jennie said.

That pulled a string on Lisa's heart. Jennie's efforts in the past week really touched her. The blonde was definitely way past the angry stage, but just because she wasn't angry at Jennie anymore, she was intent on keeping her distance. She let herself got carried away before and that hurt her.

_Lesson learned._

"I'll see you later." Lisa smiled as she turned to leave.

"Take care, honey." Jennie called after the blonde. Her wife just turned and gave her a smile over her shoulder.

When the door closed, Jennie let out a disappointed sigh. Ever since they had that fight, Lisa stopped calling her with their terms of endearment. She was hoping that she could change that tonight.

At 8pm, Jennie was done with her preparations.

For the last touch, the brunette placed the expensive bottle of Dom Romanee Conti 1997 on the table that was set for two at the backyard. Lit candles were floating on the pool, creating that warm, cozy atmosphere. She'd be taking the food out as soon as her wife arrives.

She couldn't help the excitement she felt.

Jennie sat on one of the chairs, imagining Lisa opposite her. She tried to recall the words she'd been practicing all day. She stuttered a few lines and facepalmed a few times. How could a Hollywood moviestar like her find it hard to memorize not more than five sentences?

She laughed at her nervousness.

Acting was her element. She didn't get nervous acting. But this was different. This was real life. She'd be opening herself to rejection, but she had to be brave.

She had to take a chance with Lisa.

Jennie jumped in surprise as her iPhone sounded off.

It was a text message from Lisa.

She was apologizing that she wouldn't be able to make it to dinner as she was caught in the middle of what turned out to be a super long meeting.

Jennie sighed. She was disappointed, but she couldn't really be annoyed when Lisa made those smiley and sad faces in her text message. She composed a reply, saying that she'd still be home waiting.

Lisa found Jennie sleeping on the sun lounger by the pool when she came home late.

She couldn't help but feel guilty upon seeing the set up in the backyard. Most of the floating candles were not lit anymore and only few remained. The candle on the table was already burned halfway and the ice that was keeping the red wine cold had melted. The blonde honestly thought the meeting wouldn't take long, but apparently, she was wrong. When it was finally over, Jihyo invited her and the rest for a drink but she politely refused, telling the other blonde that Jennie was waiting at home.

Jihyo understood.

Sehun didn't say much, though.

He'd been more professional these past few days since that incident with Jennie.

Lisa didn't bring up what happened. They maybe friends but it seemed to be an awkward topic of conversation so she just avoided it.

She sat on the sun lounger and watched her wife sleep for a few minutes.

She missed doing this.

Lisa reached her hand out and caressed the side of Jennie's face.

"Jennie…" She softly called.

The brunette seemed to have heard because her eyes fluttered open. After blinking a few times, she opened her eyes fully. A big smile formed on her face as her eyes landed on her blonde

wife.

"Hey…" Jennie's voice was hoarse from sleep.

"Hi." Lisa returned her smile.

"Have you been here long? I'm sorry I fell asleep." Jennie got up.

"No. _I'm_ sorry I took so long."

Jennie rubbed her eyes, snapping herself awake. She glanced at the time on her iPhone and realized it was already 11 pm.

"I didn't realize how late it is." Jennie said, more to herself.

"You didn't eat dinner, did you? I told you not to starve yourself." Lisa reprimanded the brunette. She sounded concerned.

Jennie just smiled sheepishly.

"The meeting lasted longer than I expected and wanted. I would have gotten out earlier if I could."

"I know how these things go, Lili. I understand. So, I'm assuming you've had dinner?" Jennie suspected that.

"No." Lisa saw the defeated look on her wife.

"No?" The actress looked surprised.

"Well, we met at this fancy restaurant but I just ordered a drink. Jin raised an eyebrow at me but I told him you prepared something for me, so he didn't ask anymore questions." Lisa shrugged.

Jennie smiled.

"You must be hungry then. Uhm, why don't you sit by the table and I'll bring out the food?" Jennie said, obviously ecstatic.

"Okay."

So, Lisa was sitting by the table when Jennie brought out what she prepared for dinner. The first few minutes were spent in silence eating, and occasionally glancing at each other.

"So, Drew Barrymore took interest in my story…" Lisa spoke.

Jennie's eyes snapped up to meet Lisa's. Her eyes twinkled in admiration and disbelief.

"Really? Wow, that's great. For Flower Films, right?"

"Yeah. I'm really excited."

"You wrote a romantic comedy?"

"Kind of."

"Tell me about it."

Lisa looked suddenly shy. Her ears were red and she tried to avoid Jennie's eyes.

"I will, after everything is finalized with Drew."

"How about the plot? Tell me about the plot." Jennie asked eagerly.

"Jennie, be patient." Lisa joked.

"If you know me, then you know that patience is not really one of my qualities." Jennie snickered.

Lisa snickered with her. She shook her head at her wife, feigning disapproval. When she turned her eyes back to Jennie, she found her staring at her.

Jennie took in a deep breath.

"There's something that I want to tell you."

"Me too."

"Oh, there's another thing? Why don't you go first?" Jennie poured their glasses with more wine.

"No. You go first. You went through all this trouble and I made you wait. I'm sorry." Lisa encouraged the actress.

"It's okay. I know you're working. Please, I insist. What are you going to tell me?" Jennie said. At least that would give her more time to calm her nerves. She felt her heart pounding against her chest as if it was trying to jump out, to Lisa's arms.

Lisa paused for a moment, pondering about something. She seemed hesitant at first.

"The Sundance Film Festival is happening this week." Lisa paused again.

Jennie looked at her wife expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

"Sehun and Jin are going, and they said that I should too since it would be good for my career. I'd get to meet directors, exchange ideas with fellow writers, and I can get acquainted with the professional scene."

Jennie didn't say anything. She just stared.

"I said yes."

"You're… you're going with Sehun?" Jennie finally found her voice.

She would have just told Lisa what Sehun said. But Jennie was afraid that would be pushing her wife further into Sehun's arms. What if Lisa really wasn't closing her doors for him? Their contract wasn't getting any longer and while they had their moments, it wasn't clear which of those were real. They never talked about feelings. They just acted.

" _And_ Jin. I don't know anyone there, and the three of us work together now."

Jennie forced a smile. She didn't really know what to do or say. Clearly, Lisa wasn't asking for permission. She just was telling her that she was going to Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. She was supportive of her wife, of course. She just wasn't that thrilled to hear Sehun would be there. Good thing Jin would be as well.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Lisa went back to Jennie.

"Oh, I, uh, I forgot." Jennie said. She looked away from the blonde.

"You… forgot?" The writer raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing her.

"Yeah. Uhm, you want some more wine?" Jennie steered the conversation away.

"Sure." Lisa smiled. "That's a very expensive bottle of wine. What's the occasion?" The blonde watched as Jennie poured some on her glass.

"Nothing. Just, you know… dinner with you." Jennie smiled.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jisoo's not answering her phone." Nayeon whined as she dialed the designer's number for the fourth time.

Jennie rolled her eyes.

Nayeon was in town for a few days for some award show and the two of them were having coffee at Dolce Isola in LA. Jennie wasn't really in the mood to go out, but her wife was out with Sehun, Jihyo and Jin again. Her movie project was starting to lift off and she couldn't be more proud. She still hated the Sehun part of the project.

She didn't want to be alone in the house so she agreed to meet with the Broadway actress.

"LA Fashion Week is next week. She's really busy so don't hassle her." Jisoo did mention that she was rushing some designs. Since the New Year incident, Jisoo never mentioned Sehun again.

"I should try Dahyun." Nayeon scanned for her's number.

"Nayeon, stop fiddling with your phone and just enjoy your coffee."

"It's rare that I'm in town. I just thought it would be nice to hang out with our friends."

"Dahyun's filming in Texas."

"Tzuyu?"

"Probably busy macking on someone."

"Yoongi?"

"He's dating someone now so don't bother him."

Nayeon raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know these things about our friends?"

"Happens when you're bored."

"Hmm. Sehun?"

"Who the fuck cares about Sehun?" Jennie snapped.

Nayeon looked at her friend, surprised and confused at her reaction.

"Uhm, I wasn't asking."

Jennie frowned.

"He's here, with Jihyo, Jin and your wife." Nayeon said. Her smile got bigger as she waved at the group that just entered the café. "Guys! Over here!"

"Oh, hey! Nayeon, I didn't know you're back!" Jin walked towards their table, elated to see them. He gave Nayeon a bear hug before turning to Jennie. "Jendeukie!"

"Hey, Jin." Jennie smiled at her friend.

By the time the brunette pulled away from Jin, Jihyo and Lisa were already by their table. Sehun was ordering for them. Lisa sat beside Jennie while Jihyo sat next to Nayeon. Jin occupied the chair on one head of the table. A few seconds later, Sehun joined them. He sat on the other head.

Sehun just said hey to no one in particular and avoided looking at Jennie's direction.

Jennie, on the other hand, kept throwing glares at his.

"You didn't tell me you were going out, honey." Lisa, keeping up with her role, leaned closer and gave her wife a short kiss on the lips.

That sent tingles through every part of Jennie's body. They hadn't kissed in days.

Maybe she should invite people over so Lisa would keep up the act.

"I didn't even know I was going out until Nayeon called." Jennie said.

"Are you here for the awards, Nayeon? I heard you were nominated." Jihyo asked.

"Yes, I am." Nayeon grinned proudly.

"Good luck!" Jihyo leaned in and gave her friend a good luck hug that Nayeon gladly returned.

"I thought you have a meeting." Jennie said to Lisa.

"We do. But Drew's going to be late for an hour. We thought we'd get some coffee first." Lisa answered.

"Drew?" Nayeon's eyebrow shot up in interest.

"Drew Barrymore." Sehun supplied.

Jennie's expression turned sour after hearing Sehun's voice.

"Wow!"

"We're closing a project deal with Flower Films. Lisa wrote the script." Jihyo grinned at Lisa.

"That's so cool. Congratulations, Lisa." Nayeon said.

"Thanks, Nayeon."

"Jendeukie has a very talented wife." Jin playfully gave Jennie a push.

"You bet I do." Jennie playfully pushed back and giggled.

"What is it about? And what's the title?" Nayeon asked curiously.

"It's called Full House. But the studio's probably going to change the name, it's so lame." Lisa said, looking embarrassed.

"The story's definitely far from lame though." Jin winked at Lisa, who laughed at his antics.

"It's awesome." Jihyo added.

"It is." Sehun agreed. He wasn't talking much, but couldn't help but vouch for Lisa.

"Tell me about it. I'm dying to know!" Nayeon squealed.

"It's a romantic comedy…" Lisa trailed off.

Everyone was looking at her expectantly, especially Jennie.

"It's okay, Lisa. You can tell Nayeon." Jin smiled at Lisa.

"Well, uhm…" Lisa stole a quick glance at her wife's direction and saw her waiting to continue. She cleared her throat. "It's about this dancer. She's losing inspiration. When her friends give her free trip to the French Riviera, she couldn't say no. On the plane, she meets this famous rockstar, he's really gorgeous…" Lisa felt her wife's eyes on the side of her face. She cleared her throat again. "Their first meeting isn't that great. They kind of hate each other. When the dancer comes back home, she finds out her friends conned her and sold her house. It turns out, it was the famous rockstar who bought it. For some reason, they end up living together. Shit happens, they end up getting fake-married and they have a contract with an expiration date."

Jennie sat staring at her wife, her eyes wide.

Lisa wrote about them.

She was basically telling the world their story. Lisa may have changed the characters into heterosexual ones, but they were them.

Would it be possible for people to figure it out?

No. Of course not. Anyone who'd listen to the story would deem it farfetched. Like right now. She wouldn't believe that the story was based on truth, if she was anyone else.

"They fall for each other, right?" Nayeon sounded hopeful.

"That's the conflict. Among others." Jin smiled.

"How does it end?" Jennie asked.

_I don't know yet._

"Happily." Lisa turned away. "If you can't make things work out in real life, why not do it in movies, right? That's why people go see them. It's their way out."

Jennie was the only one who caught what Lisa meant.

Minutes passed. Jin and Nayeon were busy chatting. Jihyo and Sehun were discussing business. Lisa and Jennie turned unusually quiet.

Lisa's coffee break didn't last long. They had to go back to the studios to meet Drew. With one last kiss for her wife, she and her group said goodbye with a promise to see her wife soon.

"Is it me or is it just cold in here?"

Jennie was pulled out of her trance by Nayeon's voice. She found her friend looking inquiringly at her.

"What happened?" The Broadway asked.

"Nothing happened."

"That wasn't nothing. Back at the ranch, you two couldn't get enough of each other." Nayeon definitely picked up the tension between the couple. While Jennie and Lisa were getting along and they still had those cute little moments, she felt something was wrong.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"How about we just go somewhere fun?" Jennie suggested.

Knowing that Jennie wasn't about to talk about her problems, if ever there was one, Nayeon just agreed. It looked like the actress was intent on spending a late night anyway.

Later that night, Lisa was surprised when she didn't find Jennie's Range Rover at the garage when she came home.

Meanwhile, in LA, Nayeon was helping a very drunk Jennie stay on her feet as they walk out of Bar Marmont. She tried to control her friend's intake of alcohol, she really did. But Jennie just did what she wanted to do and ignored Nayeon's pleas the rest of the night.

Nayeon cursed under her breath upon seeing the mob of paparazzi waiting outside.

_Great._

She was sober but photos of Jennie like this would surely flip Taehyung out. Sure, everybody gets drunk every now and then, but the paparazzi, online gossip sites and trashy tabloids were without mercy when it came to smearing an actor's reputation.

They'd done that to Jennie more than twice in the past. They were, after all, the ones who dubbed Jennie as Hollywood's notorious playgirl.

The fucking press was going to have a feast.

Just before she could pull Jennie back and search for another exit, lights began flashing.

They were already caught.

So, Nayeon proceeded outside. She tried to hide both their faces from the cameras but the flashing never stopped. She could hear questions being thrown, mostly at Jennie. She heard Jennie groaning and cursing.

"Jennie! When can we see you in your sexy Batwoman costume!"

"Nayeon, congratulations on your nomination!"

"Thanks." Nayeon gave a grateful smile.

"Jennie! Will you confirm flirting with Jieun Lee inside?"

Jennie snapped her eyes dangerously towards the guy who just spoke. She was about to hurl some spiteful words at him when another question was thrown her way.

"Bad habits are hard to break, aren't they, Jennie!"

"What are you trying to say, schmuck?" The actress hissed at the guy. Nayeon squeezed Jennie's hand, warning her to stay calm.

"Your wife trusts you in these kinds of place, Jennie?" A guy on their side holding a video camera asked.

Nayeon walked faster, pulling Jennie with her. But she wasn't fast enough. Before she realized what was happening, Jennie had already grabbed a hold of the paparazzi's collar and snatched the video camera from his hands.

"Leave my wife out of this!"

Nayeon didn't have time to stop her friend as Jennie smashed the video camera on the pavement, shocking everyone. Nayeon's jaw dropped on the floor. The shocked paparazzi kept on taking photos and videos though, although they looked like they were about to run.

It took a lot of Nayeon's strength for her to be able to pull Jennie into her Range Rover.

Jennie stayed at the Range Rover as Nayeon got them some coffee. She got back to the car and gave Jennie the strongest one.

They sat in silence.

Jennie was still too drunk to do anything. Any movement she made caused her head to spin. So she sat still. Her phone kept ringing. It was Taehyung. Her outburst was probably all over the internet right now and he was sure to give her a piece of his mind, but the actress wasn't really in the condition for that. So she ignored him. When her phone rang again, she saw Lisa's picture beaming up at her. Jennie couldn't help but smile.

"Hi, Lili."

Nayeon heard.

"I'm going to get some muffins." Nayeon excused herself to give her friend privacy to talk to her wife.

Jennie just nodded. She watched as Nayeon got out of the car.

_"I thought you wanted to stop the bad publicity, Jennie."_

So that's why Lisa was calling. She found out about what happened outside Chateau Marmont.

_"You can't just smash people's cameras. What if you got hurt? I saw how big that guy was. I'm surprised he didn't hurt you."_

"Well it's not for no reason." Jennie growled. She slurred with her words.

_"Are you drunk?"_

Oops. Busted.

"Just had a few drinks with Nayeon."

_"Doesn't sound like a few. Is she driving you home or should I pick you up? I'm not letting you drive in that state."_ Lisa definitely sound concerned.

"I s'pose Nayeon's driving."

_"Look, we agreed to help each other out. But you have to help yourself as well. Your notoriety is not just about you being a player. We both know how explosive your temper can be."_

Jennie frowned.

"So this is what it's about? You're just trying to _help_ me?" Jennie sounded hurt.

Lisa sighed.

_"I don't want you to get hurt, Jennie."_

Lisa waited for her wife to say something. It took a few seconds.

"Are you still going to Park City tomorrow?" Jennie's voice cracked at the question. It had been a week and still, she couldn't stop thinking of her wife at Sundance with Sehun.

_"Yeah, I mean, why not? It's going to help me with my career."_

"You're still going with Sehun?"

Lisa was surprised at how small Jennie sounded.

_"I told you, Jin's going to be there too. I don't know anyone there."_

There was a pause.

"Are you still giving him a chance?" The tremble was more apparent in Jennie's voice now. She sounded as if she was going to cry.

_"I don't even remember saying that. But I don't know."_

Lisa could hear Jennie breathing on the other end.

_"Jennie, why are you even asking me this? We're still married."_

Jennie did not answer.

_"Hey, are you still there?"_

"Uhm, yeah. Yeah, I'm still here." Jennie hastily wiped the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

_"Come home now, okay? I'll wait for you."_

"Okay."

They hung up.

When Nayeon got back, she drove the Range Rover back to Eagle Rock. It was late. Lisa offered Nayeon to stay, but since there was already a cab waiting for her to take her back to her hotel in LA, Nayeon refused.

Lisa had a hard time helping Jennie up to her bedroom. The brunette maybe small but she was still heavy. She deposited her wife on the bed as she searched for change of clothes. She was just walking out of Jennie's walk-in closet with a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top when she heard Jennie mumbling something.

Jennie was lying down the bed with her eyes closed.

Lisa took in a deep breath.

Changing her wife's clothes was going to be tricky.

She cleared her throat. It wasn't like she was peeking. She was helping Jennie.

_Right._

Back to helping Jennie.

The blonde was in the process of taking off Jennie's clothes and was finding it more and more difficult to stop her eyes from darting down to Jennie's cleavage when Jennie spoke something undecipherable again. She ignored what her wife was saying and continued with the impossible task of undressing Jennie and not peeping.

Jennie was already out of her shirt and pants.

Lisa cleared her throat every now and then, finding it more and more difficult to pry her eyes away from Jennie's long, smooth legs and her tight abs.

"Baby…"

Lisa jumped at the first decipherable words that came out of Jennie's mouth. She was blushing furiously, thinking that she was caught leering.

But Jennie's eyes were still close.

"I love you…"

Lisa froze.

"I love you, sweetheart…" Jennie murmured.

The writer had to shake her mind from the gutter she found herself in after hearing Jennie's words, wondering if she heard her right, wondering if Jennie was talking to her.

She continued dressing Jennie. When she was done, she leaned over to give Jennie a kiss on her forehead when she felt warm hands tug on her own. She knew what Jennie was asking. The brunette was asking her to lay down with her, but Lisa wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

Jennie wasn't giving up, though.

"Honey, hold me…" Jennie said.

Lisa couldn't resist her anymore. So she obliged. She got into bed beside Jennie, but this time, she didn't spoon her. She lay down facing her wife. She stroke her brunette locks with her hand, reveling at the marvelous feel of it in her hand. Jennie seemed to have fallen asleep because she wasn't mumbling anymore.

Lisa then held Jennie close to her heart.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie had one hell of a hangover.

She was in the dining room early the next morning and drinking coffee when Lisa came down already dressed to leave with her luggage, reminding Jennie that today was the day that her wife leaves for Park City, Utah with Sehun.

_And Jin._

Jennie reminded herself. Lisa wasn't going to be alone with Sehun. Her good friend Jin would be there.

"Hey." Lisa greeted as she walked over her to join her in the dining room.

"Hi."

"Did you find the pain killers I left you?" Lisa asked. She had left Jennie's bedroom before the brunette woke up.

"Yeah. It's not working it's magic yet."

Lisa poured herself a cup of coffee and sat opposite Jennie. She watched for a while as the brunette desperately rubbed her temple.

"Do you remember what you said last night?" Lisa said before she could stop herself.

Jennie looked up at her, confused.

She couldn't even remember how she got home and into her bed.

She was too wasted.

"What did I say? Did I upset you again?" Jennie worried.

"No. You don't remember?" Lisa wasn't sure whether she should be relieved or not.

Jennie shook her head.

"I was too drunk. I'm sorry… Are you sure I didn't say something that upset you?"

"It's nothing, don't worry." Lisa forced a smile. She only drank half of her cup of coffee before bringing the cup to the sink.

Jennie's eyes fell on the luggage by the living room floor.

"Don't go." She said.

"I have to."

"No you don't. I don't want you to go."

"Jennie…"

"Don't leave me, Lili." Jennie pleaded.

Lisa almost gave in. But she had to go. It was a career choice and maybe they needed time away from each other. She needed time and space to think.

"It's only for a few days. I'll be back before you know it." Lisa smiled reassuringly at Jennie, although there was sadness in her own eyes.

The blonde walked towards Jennie. She stopped behind Jennie's chair and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

Jennie closed her eyes.

They stayed like that for quite some time, with Lisa's arms around Jennie's shoulders, the blonde's face buried in Jennie's brunette locks. When it was time for Lisa to go, the blonde kissed her wife on the top of her head and without saying anything else, she left.

When Jennie opened her eyes, tears started streaming down her face.

"You look like shit."

Jennie didn't turn to see who took the seat next to her. It was barely lunch time and she was already sitting on a stool at Covell, a half-empty glass of wine in front of her. She had just gotten out of an argument with Taehyung about what she supposedly did at Chateau Marmont last night.

That, she could remember.

"I thought you were busy with your Fashion Week stuff."

"You're more important than Fashion Week, Jennie. You're my bestfriend."

Jennie took a sip of her wine.

"Nayeon told me about what happened." As soon as Jisoo heard, she tried calling Jennie but the brunette wouldn't answer. She asked Taehyung who suspected that the actress probably headed here at Covell, a bar that was near his office.

Jennie scoffed.

"Just what I expected."

"She was concerned about you." Jisoo said.

Jennie didn't say anything.

"I heard Lisa's going to Sundance with Jin and Sehun."

"Don't say his name." Jennie hissed.

"What's happening with you guys?"

"It's my fault. This is all my fault."

"No it's not. Why did you even allow her to go with Sehun? Did you tell her what happened at the ranch, the reason you punched him?"

"I can't."

Jennie couldn't because she was afraid that if Lisa had feelings for Sehun as well, that would just validate it.

"What are you doing here, Jennie?"

"Drinking, obviously."

"Why aren't you chasing after your wife?"

"What?"

"She's with Sehun, in another state, and we both know how he is. He likes her. You should have been honest and stopped her from going. You have the right to. You're hers and she's yours, Jennie. So don't be a fool. Don't just sit there and let someone else take her away from you. Don't even give him that chance."

She knew just what Jisoo was suggesting and honestly, it wasn't a bad suggestion.

Jennie sat staring at her glass of wine for a while before Jisoo spoke up again.

"So, do you wanna drive or…?"

"I think it's safer if you would." Jennie left a bill on the bar and jumped down from the stool. She rushed outside of Covell with Jisoo following her.

When Jennie and Jisoo raced to the airport, they were too late.

Lisa's plane just lifted off.

Jennie felt the energy drained out of her as she watched Lisa's plane, Utah-bound.

She also felt something inside her break as well.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

_"Lisa?"_

_The blonde looked up to see Jin's concerned eyes. She didn't realize she had stop walking in the middle of a busy airport. Sehun was barely talking to her in the past weeks and he just waited for her to say something._

_Every step she took, she was taking a step away from Jennie._

_And every step away from Jennie, she was finding it hard to breathe._

_"I can't leave Jennie." Lisa said._

_Jin looked confused._

_"Lisa, it's just a few days." Jin said._

_"I know, but… I've never really spent days away from her before. Well, there was that one time when she went to New York, but…"_

_Lisa shifted her eyes from Jin to Sehun._

_"I need to be with Jennie. She needs to be with me, I'm- I'm sorry." She told her boss in apology._

_Sehun just smiled and nodded, internally accepting his defeat. There wasn't even a competition to begin with. He never stood a chance._

_Jennie didn't even have to punch Sehun to win._

_She already had Lisa's heart from the beginning._

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

When Lisa reached home, Jennie was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hang in there! one chapter and the epilogue left
> 
> edit: now i feel rly bad about dropping this angsty chapter right as awful news about kobe and his daughter gianna passing away has surfaced.. may they rest in peace as well as the other passengers, and may the bryant family have strength to pull through these extremely tough times 😓❤️


	12. THE MYSTERY OF THE SIXTH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cmon jenlisa get ur shit together

_"Lili..."_

Jennie's voice broke, and she'd barely even started.

_"There's so many things that I want to tell you. I don't even know how to begin. I just, uhm… I haven't told you this before, but you're the best coincidence that ever happened to me. You make me so happy. And I'd do anything, ANYTHING, to make you feel the same way because I-"_

The raspy voice trailed off. It took a moment before the actress spoke again. She almost let it slip that she loved Lisa, but stopped herself before the word came out. Lisa deserved more than just a phone confession. Keeping her feelings in check wasn't that easy for Jennie, however.

_"I care, about you..."_

There was that sound that sounded like a sob.

” _You probably have arrived in Utah already. I hope you're doing well. Get back home safe. Uhm, I won't be home when you get back. I'm driving somewhere right now. I just can't go back home knowing that you're not going to be there. I can't take it. I'm just, uh, taking some time away. I kind of needed some time. Some 'me' time to think about some things. Don't worry, I won't take long and I'm doing alright. Just give me this time. And I'm giving you space. You did say you needed it. And then we'll talk. I can't wait to see you,_ honey."

A pale hand reached out from under the warm covers to the bedside phone and played the voice mail again.

Jennie's voice was heard in the bedroom for the 32nd time that day.

It was the 116th time Lisa played it since the message was left on their phone.

And it had been five days since Jennie left that message on their voice mail.

Five days of Lisa awfully missing her wife.

Five days of Lisa not getting out of the house.

Lisa tried calling, but Jennie's phone was out of reach. Jennie obviously didn't want to be found. She wanted to ask Jennie's friends, or her other family members but that would certainly generate questions and right now, she didn't have answers. She had no idea why it was important for Jennie to get away and what it was that she needed to reflect about.

Truthfully, it scared her.

The message reached its end. Lisa reached out again and replayed the message for the 117th time. Before it was finished, she heard the door bell.

The blonde didn't even move. She had no intentions of getting up from Jennie's bed – where she'd been sleeping in since coming home to an empty house - to open the door. She didn't care who was there. All she cared about was Jennie and had it been her wife, she wouldn't bother ringing the door bell. She'd just walk in and complain that Lisa was staining her sheets with her tears.

The blonde smiled as she imagined Jennie walking into her bedroom and finding her there. She imagined how they'd argue about how Lisa ruined the pillow cases and the bed sheets.

The smile didn't last very long, though.

Lisa buried her face in Jennie's pillow. It smelled like the brunette, and she didn't want to get away from what makes her feel closest to Jennie at the moment. She had long admitted that she was in love with Jennie, but she didn't realize that being far away from her would make her feel like this.

Like she was dying.

The persistent ringing of the door bell continued. Lisa groaned. The irritating sound was giving her a headache. She could hear the faint sound of someone yelling, but couldn't figure out who it was. Five minutes later, the door bell was still ringing and she realized the person at the door wasn't about to leave her alone.

Reluctantly, the writer got up from Jennie's bed and trudged her way downstairs. Upon reaching the end of the stairwell, the voice at the door became clearer.

"Lisa, I know you're in there! Open up or I swear I'm calling the cops!" Chaeyoung screamed at the front door. She was getting more frustrated by the second and aside from desperately ringing the door bell, she started banging her fists on the door as well.

She jumped when the door suddenly opened.

Chaeyoung immediately noticed her friend's puffy red eyes and tear-stained face. She followed the blonde as Lisa walked back into the house and threw herself on the couch and buried her face on a throw pillow.

Brown eyes traveled from the blonde’s disheveled hair to crumpled sleeping clothes. It had only been a few days but it was apparent that Lisa had lost some weight. Chae's eyes went about the house and found scattered pieces of pizza boxes and some empty cans of soda on the coffee table and the dining table. She felt sympathy for her friend.

"What happened to you?" Chaeyoung asked softly as she sat on the couch beside Lisa.

"Nothing." Lisa's voice was muffled as her face remained buried on the pillow.

Chaeyoung tapped her shoulder, nudging her to turn around.

It took a lot more taps before Lisa shifted to face her worried friend.

"You didn't come to the studio for days and you didn't even call. You're not taking my calls, and I couldn't reach Jennie. So I came to check on you because we're so worried. What's going on?"

"Where's Joowon ?" Lisa wasn't only avoiding eye contact; she was also dodging the prodding questions her friend was asking her.

"Bambam's got him. Who's got you?"

The blonde didn't answer. She just stared in space.

Chaeyoung wasn't sure if Lisa didn't hear her or was just simply ignoring her. She sighed. She had never seen Lisa in this state before. Not even when she called off her wedding with Baekhyun back in the day. Granted, it was her who broke the engagement off, but still.

She had never seen Lisa so depressed and miserable. She just looked so vulnerable, so fragile.

"Where's Jennie?"

Lisa shrugged.

"Did you guys fight again? What is it about this time?"

"We didn't fight. I… I'm not sure, I don't know." Lisa looked like she was about to cry again.

"You don't know?" Chaeyoung arched an eyebrow. "You're here moping and your wife's missing."

"She's not missing. She's taking some time." There was a strain in the blonde's voice.

Chae could sense Lisa's fear. It was hard to point out exactly what it was that Lisa was scared about. But it definitely had something to do with Jennie.

"You guys are okay, right?"

"I hope so."

"What really happened?" Chaeyoung prodded further.

"We didn't fight, okay? We're okay!" Lisa yelled in frustration. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince Chaeyoung or herself. But Jennie's been gone for days without letting her know where she went. That in itself wasn't okay. Why did Jennie choose to stay away from her this long?

Lisa kept thinking of what she'd done. Things were getting better in the last few days before she was supposed to leave for Sundance.

Jennie asked her not to go.

But she chose to leave.

"I was supposed to go to Utah, but she didn't want me to go. She asked me not to, but it was work. So I left. I changed my mind the last minute, and when I got back, Jennie wasn't home. She just left me a voice mail." Lisar's voice cracked. Her eyes welled-up.

Chaeyoung knew about her friend's trip to the Sundance Festival and knew that she didn't go.

"I should have stayed." The writer felt the tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall.

When they did fall, Chaeyoung was fast to scoop her friend into her arms.

"I miss her so much…" Lisa sobbed on Chaeyoung's shoulder.

"I know. I'm sure she misses you too." Chaeyoung said, hoping her words were enough to console her friend. She was so crushed, and watching her was heart-wrenching.

Silently, she wished Jennie would come back soon.

When Lisa checked the mailbox after Chaeyoung had left, she found a big envelope inside.

Her heart dropped when she found what it contained.

It was the deed of her house. There was only one person who could have sent it to her.

Jennie. 

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa found herself standing outside of Jisoo's boutique in LA. She didn't know who else to ask. She had tried calling some of Jennie's friends but they weren’t of much help. Lisa told all of them an edited version of them having a 'small' fight.

Taehyung said he thought Jennie was spending some down time with Lisa.

Tzuyu said she hadn't talked to Jennie since New Year.

Dahyun was still in Texas finishing up with her film and had no idea where Jennie was.

Jimin and Nayeon were both in New York so she didn't bother calling them.

Yoongi suggested that she call Jennie's siblings, but Lisa decided against it because she didn't want to alert her in-laws about her current problems with Jennie.

The blonde tried to see through the glass window and found a number of people milling about inside. It looked like a busy day. She was hesitant to come in and Jisoo was probably busy so she turned around. But before she could climb back into her car, a voice stopped her.

"Lisa?"

Letting out a deep sigh, Lisa slowly turned around and found Jisoo by the door, looking concerned. Well, she did look distraught and the designer sensed that something was wrong.

Lisa had never visited the shop before.

Jisoo invited her inside and led the blonde writer to her office. She mentioned something about the LA Fashion Week, thus, the amount of people. She locked the door and offered her bestfriend's wife a seat, which Lisa gladly took. She offered something to drink, but Lisa didn't have time for small talk.

If Lisa didn't find Jennie soon, she was going to break again. So she started talking, beginning from the day she was supposed to leave for Sundance.

Jisoo didn't know that Jennie didn't go home after they thought they missed Lisa's plane and was shocked to find out that Lisa didn't even leave. A look of sympathy crossed the designer's face.

"We were there." Jisoo softly said.

"What?"

"Jennie chased after you to the airport. I drove her. We saw your plane lift off, and… she cried, you know."

Lisa was surprised to find that out. The tears she was holding rolled down her cheeks. Jisoo was fast to grab the box of tissues from her table and handed it to Lisa. The writer smiled gratefully and pulled a few sheets, dabbing it on her tear-stained cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I just… I don't know how to find her. I know I hurt her for going against her wishes, but this is too much. I miss her too much."

"I don't think she was hurt that you chose to go, Lisa." Jisoo bit her lower lip. She was sure she wasn't in the position to meddle in her friend's business, but Lisa needed to know. If their situations were reversed, she'd want to know.

"What do you mean?" Lisa turned a curious look at the designer.

"She was hurt because you were going with Sehun."

There was a pause.

"I know that she hated Sehun, but I'm working with him. I thought she'd understand."

"Maybe she felt like you were choosing him."

"What?" Lisa found it ridiculous. Why would Jennie think that? She was clear that her trip to Park City, Utah was purely business.

"She didn't just hate Sehun. Jennie was jealous of Sehun, she told me. He has feelings for you, Lisa. And they weren't friendly. Why did you think she kicked that soccer ball right into his face and punched him after New Year's Eve?"

So Jennie was jealous of Sehun. Not because of Jisoo like she initially thought. She was actually jealous because of Lisa. And this was Jisoo telling her this, she was bound to get it right.

Lisa couldn't really be blamed for thinking that the reason why Jennie hated Sehun's guts was because of the designer. That was how it all started anyway. Who knows exactly when their dynamics changed? Feelings weren't something she talked about with her wife. Both of them avoided mentioning it like the plague. They were in a complicated situation when they were married before they even got to know each other, although the physical attraction, while neither of them would admit it, was so palpably obvious. Feelings were just a whole new different level but they got so comfortable being married.

But everytime they were reminded of the contract, it was easy to believe that everything that they shared was just an act.

There were so many unspoken feelings.

"Look, I've never seen Jennie like this before. Not with anyone else. She loves you. But with Sehun having feelings for you, and with Jennie's insecurities, she may have thought you were choosing Sehun when you decided to leave with him instead of staying with Jennie like she asked. I know Jennie. She's tough when it comes to most things, but when it comes to her feelings, she's absolutely fragile."

"But I don't even care about Sehun like that."

"I believe you. But maybe Jennie wasn't sure about that."

Lisa was surprised when she felt Jisoo's arms around her. That was when she started sobbing again, but thankful for Jisoo's comforting warmth.

"She doesn't have any secret hiding place. Jennie's probably at the ranch, holing up in her room watching reality TV and eating sweets."

"Thank you, Jisoo."

Then Lisa thought, maybe they could be friends. Maybe she could set aside her own insecurities because Jisoo Kim is one great friend.

She couldn't help herself when she held on to Jisoo even tighter.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jisoo's prediction was almost accurate.

Indeed, Jennie was at the ranch. But instead of watching reality TV, she was watching a marathon of All My Children. She was lounging on the couch with a bowl of ice cream in her hands. Her sister, Yeji, who came back for a brief vacation since she wouldn't be coming home during the semestral break was on the opposite chair, watching her in sympathy.

"Will you ever tell me about it?" Yeji asked.

When she came in that morning, she was surprised to find her sister at the ranch, looking miserable. When she realized Lisa wasn't there, she immediately knew what the problem was. At first, she thought it was an ordinary couple's fight, but with the despondent look in Jennie's eyes and the fact that she was eating her third bowl of ice cream already, Yeji was starting to get worried.

"Don't wanna." Jennie pouted.

Yeji rolled her eyes.

"Well, you've got to talk sometime."

Jennie didn't say anything. She just continued eating her ice cream and cried occasionally when a character died or when somebody broke up which was every now and then considering that she was watching soap.

"Did you have a fight with Lisa?" Yeji dared to ask.

Jennie's eyes watered but didn't respond.

Yeji's heart broke for her sister. It must have been something really serious.

"Everything's going to be fine, Jen."

"How do you know?"

"Because you love each other." Yeji stated as if it was the most simple thing in the world.

"What if she doesn't love me as much as I love her?" The actress lamented.

Yeji quirked an eyebrow.

When Jennie ignored her, she realized that her sister wasn't joking with her question.

"Then you must be really stupid."

"What did you say?" Jennie looked at her sister with a glare.

"Maybe it's you who doesn't love her as much. You're the one who's hiding here watching soap operas and devouring ice cream like it's the end of the world while your wife sits at home probably freaking out about where to find you."

Jennie wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. She turned her eyes away.

"What, you're just going to sit there and wallow on self-pity? Because that's really pathetic." Yeji couldn't help but get annoyed. What was her sister doing? If she was miserable without Lisa, then the solution was simply obvious.

Jennie had to be with Lisa.

The actress let out a deep sigh.

"Just leave me alone, will you?" There wasn't any strength in Jennie's voice.

"Oh, I will." The youngest Kim got up from her seat and grabbed her keys from the coffee table.

Before leaving, Yeji turned back.

"Jennie, don't let her go, okay? And don't push her away. If you really love her, then prove it. I wouldn't want to lose my sister-in-law over something trivial as your insecurity."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

The sound of footsteps jolted Jennie from her sleep. She stirred from where she fell asleep on the couch. Her eyes fluttered open, falling on the towering image of her wife which she initially thought was a mere product of her imagination. She had been dreaming of the blonde too much lately that it was hard to separate reality from her daydreams.

"What's this?" Lisa was clearly angry as she threw the brown envelope on Jennie's direction. It fell on the brunette's stomach.

Fully awake now, Jennie sat up and picked the envelope with her right hand. She didn't have to open it to know what was inside. She was the one who mailed it in the first place.

"Uhm, I think it’s pretty obvious." Jennie answered calmly. If this was one of their usual senseless banters, she would have argued with her. But this was different. Jennie was even surprised at herself that she was able to stay cool and composed.

Seeing Lisa again caused her heart to do what felt like cartwheels. She made her want to smile, although that evidently wasn't the blonde's intention for coming over.

"Why did you send me this?" Lisa asked in frustration. If she wasn't so mad at Jennie, she would have given in to the urge that she felt upon seeing her again.

She wanted to wrap her arms around her wife and kiss her to no end.

But first, Jennie had to explain.

Lisa had to hear it.

Jennie ran a hand through her hair before letting out a deep breath.

"I'm giving you the house back, sweet- Lili." Jennie said.

Lisa visibly paled. Her mouth opened to say something back, but couldn't. She was at a loss for words. What was this going to mean for them?

"Just like we agreed." Jennie's voice caught up in her throat that it came out like a whisper.

"But-"

"Don't worry about the contract." Jennie interrupted before Lisa could finish. They still had almost a year left on their contract and Lisa was apparently surprised that she was already returning the house.

"I don't care about the fucking house, Jennie!" Lisa exploded. How could Jennie even think about the house? She didn't want the house, she wanted her wife.

Jennie jumped at Lisa's tone.

"Why did you just disappear?"

"I-" The brunette felt guilty upon seeing the tears that were now slowly trailing down Lisa's cheeks. She couldn't bear to see her cry, and it was nobody's fault but hers.

"You didn't tell me where you were! I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about you! I was so worried about you!"

Tears were flowing freely from Lisa's eyes now. Jennie wanted nothing but to wipe them away but she couldn't. She had to keep strong. The brunette got up from the couch and took a few steps away from Lisa.

"I'm sorry for causing that. But you don't have to worry about me anymore."

"What are you talking about?"

Jennie swallowed the lump the formed in her throat.

"I'm setting you free."

"What?" Lisa faltered.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to call my lawyer so he can prepare the divorce papers. We don't have to go through a messy divorce, Lili. I don't want to drag you into the spotlight. I promise I'll keep it quiet and-"

"Jennie…" Lisa stared at her wife in disbelief.

"All you have to do is sign them." Jennie murmured the last part, her own tears blurring her eyes before it flowed down to her cheeks. She didn't bother to wipe them.

"No!"

"What?"

"I'm not signing anything!"

Jennie looked surprised. This wasn't how she expected Lisa to react.

"I forced you into this marriage. I didn't give you a choice. It was too much of me to ask you to change your whole life for me. I was selfish, and all I did was hurt you."

Jennie wrapped her arms protectively around herself. She forced her eyes to look up, meeting Lisa's eyes. Silently, she blamed herself for all the sadness and frustration and anger that she saw there.

"I want you to be happy, Lili."

Even if it doesn't mean the same for me.

Lisa lifted a hand to the side of her forehead, rubbing at her temple. This wasn't going the way she wanted it to be. It was all going too fast. She could feel her head about to explode.

"Is this what you've been thinking about for the past days that you weren't with me?"

"This isn't easy for me, Lili."

"Did you honestly think that divorcing me is going to make me happy?"

"Aren't you listening? I'm giving you your freedom. You'll be free to do whatever you want, pursue anyone you want. That's what we agreed upon. I'd be out of your life and you're going to get your father's house back."

More tears flowed from Lisa's eyes.

This isn't happening. 

Lisa started pacing. She tried wiping her tears but they kept coming. She wanted to run, she wanted to hide. She wanted this to be a dream so she could wake up. But the pain felt too real to be just a dream. She slumped on the couch and buried her face on her hands.

The blonde's shoulders trembled as the unbridled emotions were manifested through her tears.

"Why are you doing this, Jennie?" Lisa's voice cracked.

Jennie herself couldn't keep her tears at bay. She got on her knees in front of Lisa and held her hands, hoping that it would somehow lessen the pain she was causing.

"Because I love you."

Didn't people say that if you love someone, set them free? She wanted to give Lisa a choice. She loved Lisa, and if she didn't want to be with her, then, she'd accept it.

Because she loves her.

A love that transcends everything. True love. The kind of love that wasn't asking for anything in return. The kind of love that knew sacrifice. Who would have thought Jennie would ever feel this way about someone?

Certainly wasn't Jennie.

The brunette could not keep herself from touching Lisa anymore. Her left hand reached up to brush Lisa's cheek.

Slowly, the blonde looked up.

Their eyes met.

"I'm such a coward for not telling you before. But I wasn't sure. I haven't been in love before." Jennie interlocked both of her hands with Lisa's. "They say love isn't selfish. This is me being selfless."

"Please just… just stop talking." Lisa removed her right hand from Jennie's grasp and grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss.

Jennie was completely caught off-guard.

When their lips touched, Lisa didn't hesitate, nor did she wait. Her tongue brushed the top of Jennie's lip and as soon as the brunette granted access, her tongue shot out to meet her wife's.

The sensation was electric.

As they pulled back for air, Lisa pressed her forehead against Jennie's, catching her breath. Her right hand was cupping Jennie's face, while her other arm was wrapped around Jennie's neck. Jennie's arms, on the other hand, were around Lisa's waist.

"Don't let me go, please… I love you…" Lisa whispered against her wife's lips.

Jennie felt like she was in heaven just hearing those words come out of Lisa's lips. She didn't trust her ears enough but before she could ask to confirm what she just heard and that she wasn't imagining it, Lisa dived in and pressed their lips together for another kiss.

Plump lips spread into a smile.

It was hazy how they reached the bedroom whilst kissing and now, Jennie was on the bed with Lisa on top of her. Somewhere along the way, they both lost their shirts and for the first time, Jennie realized she wasn't even wearing a bra. But she wasn't exactly thinking because seriously, that thing Lisa was doing with her tongue as her mouth enclosed her right nipple while a hand played with the other was causing Jennie's brain to get a little bit haywire.

"Wait…" Jennie breathed out, causing Lisa to stop with the delicious things she was doing on her breasts.

"What?" Lisa's voice was deeper, causing Jennie to get a little more flustered than she already was.

Jennie cupped her wife's face in her hands. She caressed her cheeks, stroked her hair, and stared up at her, in complete awe.

And with so much love.

"I am so in love with you." Jennie knew she was being the sappiest she'd ever been and probably the lamest she sounded, but she didn't care.

She was head-over-heels in love with this woman and she wanted to make sure that she knew.

Lisa smiled and leaned down, giving her wife a short peck on the lips.

"I am very much in love with you too."

Without waiting any longer, Lisa captured Jennie's lips again for the nth time. She tilted her head, deepening the kiss. Jennie's right hand found purchase at the back of the blonde's neck, while her left hand reached for the button of Lisa's jeans.

Jennie unbuttoned it and pulled the zipper down, her fingertips purposely brushing against what felt like a lacy underwear.

"Ohh…" Lisa pulled back from the kiss and expelled a breath as she felt the barely-there touch near the most sensitive part of her body.

They hardly even started yet and that kind of touch was already driving Lisa crazy.

The blonde didn't realize she had closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found those amazing pair of brown orbs staring up at her, glinting with what she could only describe as love and adoration.

"I love you." Jennie said again.

Lisa chuckled.

"I'm not deaf, you know. I heard you the first time."

Lisa traced Jennie's lips with her right thumb, marveling at how soft they felt against her skin. Finally managing to pry her eyes away from her wife's captivating pair, she reconnected their lips again.

"I love you too." The blonde spoke, with her lips hovering a mere centimeter from Jennie's. "And I'll never get tired of saying that. But right now, I really don't want to talk, honey."

"Lili…"

"What?" Lisa breathed out as she tried to remain propped up on both her hands, on top of Jennie.

"Do you really, uh… do you really want to do this now?" Jennie asked, sounding concerned. There wasn't any question that they were officially together now. But despite the fact that they were already married and admitted their love for each other, they hadn't even been on a first real date yet, and although she wanted nothing but to feel Lisa in the most intimate way possible, she didn't want to pressure her.

Lisa quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you seriously asking me that?" The more they talk, the more Lisa was starting to get frustrated. For fuck's sake, they were half-naked already and all Jennie had to do was stare at Lisa's pupils and she'd get her answer.

"Well…"

Jennie looked so shy all of a sudden that Lisa found her too adorable. How could you get frustrated with that?

"Babe, I've been dreaming of doing this since seeing you in that red hot bikini by the pool. And we've been married for more than a year now. This honeymoon is long overdue. Imagine how sexually frustrated I am right now. So please, can we stop talking?" Lisa sounded whiny as she pleaded.

Jennie chuckled.

"Whatever you say, wifey." Jennie licked her lips, making them wet.

The sight alone aroused Lisa even more.

Their lips met, teeth grazing and tongues exploring each other, like there was some sort of mystery to be solved. Lisa felt Jennie's hand tugging on her jeans, knowing exactly what the brunette wanted. Without leaving her wife's lips, she shuffled out of the constricting piece of clothing and kicked it off to the floor.

Running out of air, Lisa turned her attention on the smooth expanse of Jennie's neck. The brunette didn't have to be told. She angled her head to give her wife access. Lisa trailed a few butterfly kisses on the skin there before she poked her tongue out, the tip tracing a path from Jennie's collarbone up to the back of her earlobe, eliciting a moan from the brunette actress; her right hand tangled in long blonde locks while the other lazily dragged its way down tight, toned abs.

Lisa sucked on Jennie's pulse point, intent on leaving a mark. Normally, Jennie would protest. Hickeys were a pain-in-the-ass to cover. But this was Lisa, the love of her life. She could mark her all over if she wanted and the paparazzi could have their field day for all she cared.

The blonde's lips spread into a grin when Jennie gasped rather loudly as she teasingly licked, briefly, her wife's left nipple. Spurred on by the reactions she was getting, Lisa repeated the action, earning a groan from the actress. She felt Jennie's grasp on her hair tightened, but a slightly painful scalp wasn't really a concern for the writer right now.

All she wanted was to keep hearing her wife's gasps and moans.

She wanted Jennie to scream her name.

And she was going to make sure it happens.

Lisa full-on sucked on her wife's breast, her tongue swirling with Jennie's now erect nipple as her hand made its way down south. Her fingertips created a trail of fire on Jennie's skin as they played at the waistband of Jennie's shorts. She wanted nothing but to feel what was underneath it, but not yet. She wanted to tease first. She wanted to prolong this. She wanted to get acquainted with every part of Jennie and remember every moment of this.

Lisa continued her exploration lower, causing Jennie to arch her upper body when her tongue made contact and licked her belly button. She dragged her hand even lower, palming her wife's still covered center.

"Oh god, Lili…"

Lisa looked up and found her flustered wife, eyes closed and her facial expression, a mix of pleasure and agony. She was aware that she was being too slow. Wanting to give what her wife so obviously needed, Lisa slipped a hand into the waistband of Jennie's shorts, causing a jolt on Jennie's part and a gasp of Lisa's own as her hand made contact with Jennie's incredibly wet center.

Doe eyes locked with a pair of now lust-filled browns.

Lisa hooked her fingers on the waistband of Jennie's shorts and slowly, she pulled it down, along with the underwear. The blonde found herself staring down with her mouth open at the brunette's glistening core. Jennie shuddered as she felt her wife's warm breath on her center.

Forgetting all her plans of going slow, Lisa dropped her head down. Just Jennie's scent was enough to drive her wild and without further ado, the writer began her mission to make her scream. At the initial swipe of Lisa's tongue, Jennie's body jerked. Lisa hummed in satisfaction when, for the first time, she tasted what it was like being intimate with her wife.

Her tongue shot out again, this time, with a purpose. Teasingly, she circled her wife's clit, eliciting a couple of moans. With one hand, she spread one of Jennie's legs so she could have more room in-between them. One of Jennie's hands was clutching tightly on the bed sheets while the other which was previously gently stroking her blonde hair was now at the back of Lisa's head, forcing her down.

Lisa grinned at her wife's impatience.

Needless to say, she obliged.

"Ohhh, mmmm, that's… baby…."

At the top of her eyelids, as Lisa continued sucking on her wife's clit, she watched Jennie with adoration. She felt her desire building even higher at the pit of her stomach, down to her own center. Her lips enclosed Jennie's most sensitive bundle of nerves and as she pulled gently, the brunette arched her body again.

"Mmmm, Lili, I need… oh!" Jennie could barely form any coherent thought as the blonde continued her assault on her center.

But while all of that was amazing in itself, she needed more.

Lisa understood.

Coating her fingers with her wife's wetness, she first rubbed them over Jennie's wet folds before pushing a finger in. At this point, Jennie could barely speak, and when she reached down for the blonde's fingers, Lisa immediately knew what her wife was asking her to do.

She added one finger, and the way Jennie's back arched off the bed as she pumped her fingers in and out was a clear enough indication that Lisa was doing it right. She felt milky thighs tense on both sides of her face. Jennie searched for Lisa's free hand and when she found it, intertwined them, and it didn't matter how awkward their angle was. Her other hand tangled with Lisa's hair, grasping tightly as she neared her orgasm. Figuring this, Lisa increased her pace as she continued thrusting her fingers into her wife's core, at the same time, placing open mouthed kisses on Jennie's clit before sucking on it again.

And that did it. Jennie screamed Lisa's name.

Fireworks exploded beneath her eyelids as Jennie's body trembled.

Lisa kept plunging her fingers into Jennie, albeit more gentle this time, helping her ride out her orgasm as she watched her.

She had never seen anything so beautiful.

And then something caught her eye.

Down, inches from Jennie's bellybutton and just below her bikini-line, a little to the right and strategically inked inside the 'v' of her thighs that was often concealed by underwear or bikini, was a really small tattoo; the sixth tattoo. It was a really small, a really tiny one that you wouldn't notice immediately unless you stared.

Confused that her wife stopped with her ministrations, Jennie looked down and found her wife staring at something down there.

"Baby…" Jennie husked.

"What?" Lisa croaked.

"What are you doing?" Jennie was torn between being amused and being annoyed.

"I'm just looking at-"

"Are you seriously checking out my tattoo in the middle of this? If you think we're done, then you must be delusional. We're just getting started." She arched an eyebrow.

Completely forgetting that she herself was soaked down there, Lisa couldn't help but grin.

Lisa just solved the mystery of the sixth.

A Chinese character that, if she remembered correctly, meant 'soulmate'.

The blonde was too busy gloating in her own world that Jennie just couldn't wait anymore. She flipped their positions, surprising Lisa, but she wasn't about to complain. With speed, she ripped Lisa's panties off of her, grinning upon seeing how drenched her wife was.

Jennie crawled on top of her wife and leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss. Her hand groped Lisa's breasts as her lips moved to the blonde's ears, sucking on her earlobe. A thigh was wedged in-between Lisa's and she moaned upon feeling how soaked her wife was.

"Jennie, oh my… ohhhhhh…" Lisa whimpered as her wife started grinding her thigh against her core.

"What do you want, babe?" Jennie grumbled sexily on Lisa's ear.

"You…" Lisa breathed out. "I want you…" Lisa grabbed Jennie's ass, in an attempt to align her against her own center. She could feel her wife's hot and still soaking core rubbing on one of her thighs.

Jennie's eyes never left Lisa's as she lifted one of her wife's legs and hooked it on her arm so she could position herself in-between. There was a simultaneous gasp as their centers connected, clits pressing against each other. The actress grinded her hips and created a slow rhythm.

As Jennie jutted her hips downward, Lisa arched her body up to meet her thrusts. It didn't take very long for their pace to change. The sound of the creaking bed filled the room, obscuring the curses that flowed freely from Lisa's lips. Jennie grated her hips faster and harder. It showed how much they yearned for each other; proved just how much they needed each other. More than air. More than anything else in the world. It was passionate, wild even as they let go of themselves, acting on feelings felt although ignored from the very first day they met.

Jennie watched as Lisa let herself go, screaming Jennie's name, her body shaking uncontrollably as her eyes closed, eyeballs rolling to the back of her head.

Like Lisa, she had never seen anything so beautiful before.

She felt all kinds of things. First and foremost, her heart was about to burst from happiness. There was fear, unjustified but still. She continued pumping her hips, feeling her own orgasm approach, unaware of the fire she was reigniting on her wife's core. Surrendering herself, heart, body and soul to someone, that was something she had never done before. It was petrifying. Yet the fear seemed insignificant when she was reminded of the reason of them all: Lisa, her wife.

For the second time, Jennie screamed Lisa's name as her orgasm hit her in full force. Lisa came for the second time, screaming along with her, their bodies shaking violently. Jennie collapsed on top of her wife, fully sated yet completely exhausted.

A few minutes later, Jennie woke up in a messy tangle of limbs beside her wife.

When she looked up, she found amused eyes, watching her.

"Finally. I thought I was going to wait 'til morning." Lisa joked. She ran a hand through dark locks before leaning in for a short kiss.

"Hey…" Jennie greeted, but turning completely red at how rough her voice sounded.

For a few minutes, they just lay there staring at each other. Jennie was first to speak.

"I'm sorry that I had to hurt you first before I realize how head-over-heels I am in love with you."

Lisa gave her a reassuring smile.

"I wasn't any better." Lisa wrapped her hand tighter on Jennie's back and pulled her even closer to her body. "Don't ever leave again, okay? I may not be so forgiving next time."

"I can't believe we've waited this long to do that. It's just… wow! Imagine all of the amazing sex we could have had!" Jennie stared dreamily into Lisa's eyes, causing the blonde to chuckle.

"You're cute… But I prefer to call it lovemaking." Lisa emphasized, booping Jennie's nose.

"Yeah?" Jennie smiled bashfully. Just the word 'lovemaking' made her feel giddy.

Head-over-heels must be an understatement of how she felt for Lisa. There wasn't a right or perfect word in the dictionary.

"Yeah."

"Me too. I love making love to you. So… are you up for another round, or…?" The brunette stared hopefully at her wife.

"Aren't you tired?" Lisa arched an eyebrow.

"Tired? Babe, we've got to make up for lost time." Jennie grinned and before Lisa could protest, Jennie was on top of her again, giving her the most amazing kiss.

The two got distracted in a full make-out session before Lisa remembered that she wanted to talk. Jennie let out a frustrated groan when Lisa pulled back.

"Noooo. Come back here." Jennie pouted.

Lisa giggled.

"As much as I want to keep doing this all day, we need to talk."

Jennie frowned.

"That never sounds good."

"Honey, it's not bad, I can assure you that. But there are things that we need to discuss and sort out."

"Okay." Jennie said, sounding cautious.

Lisa intertwined her right hand with Jennie's, just so she could appease her. A small smile formed in the brunette's face.

"I didn't go to Utah."

"What?" Jennie was surprised.

"I was at the airport, but then I realized that I can't be away from you so I came rushing back home, only to find you gone. For days, I was a weeping mess. I didn't know where to find you. Then you sent me that deed and I knew I had to see you."

"How did you find me?"

"I talked to Jisoo."

Lisa paused in contemplation before she continued.

"At first, I didn't want to go to her. I know she's your bestfriend, and she's really nice, but… I've always been jealous of what you had or have with her. All this time, I wasn't sure about how you feel about her. I mean, you did love her-"

"It wasn't the romantic kind. I know that now. I was so protective of her, because she is my bestfriend, and I misinterpreted that to mean something more." Jennie reassured her wife.

Lisa smiled.

"Me too." Lisa reached up to tuck a stray dark hair behind Jennie's ear. "Then she told me that you were jealous of Sehun."

Jennie's expression hardened at the mention of her former friend.

"He was never a threat, Jennie. I was going to Sundance for purely business reasons. I considered him a friend, and what I had with him aside from friendship is strictly professional."

Jennie didn't say anything.

"I love you, Jennie. You're the one I've been waiting for my whole life. Nothing, and no one, could ever come between us. I decided to stop working with Sehun, but after we finish this movie with Flower Films. And I want to know now, will you be okay with that?"

The brunette lay in silence, pondering about what Lisa said. She trusted Lisa fully, but she had no trust left for Sehun. But this was her wife's career. It was taking off. She was fortunate to nab this opportunity with Drew Barrymore and she fully supported her. She wasn't going to stand in the way of her success.

"I can't have you marching into set and punching the lights out of him, although I find your tough exterior definitely hot." Lisa playfully winked at her wife.

Jennie giggled, and then rolled her eyes.

"I trust you." She smiled. Jennie lifted their intertwined hands, kissing the back of Lisa's. That was when she noticed something.

Lisa was wearing their wedding ring, but the engagement ring was missing. She used to wear both of them before. Out of curiosity, Jennie asked.

"Did you lose your ring, babe?"

Lisa immediately knew what ring Jennie was referring to. Had Jennie asked her that before all of this, she would have felt jealous and insecure. But now, she felt confident because that ring meant nothing anymore. And besides, she was wearing Jennie's wedding ring.

What more could she ask for?

"I don't really like wearing what isn't mine." Lisa smiled.

Jennie smiled back. One of these days, she was going to get Lisa her own engagement ring. She giggled at the thought.

"What?" Lisa quirked an eyebrow.

"Nothing, just… we've got our whole love story in reverse."

Lisa chuckled.

"You know that I'm all yours now, right?" Jennie asked.

"Well, you better be because I don't like sharing you." Lisa warned playfully.

"Let's stay here for a few days."

"I'd love to, but I didn't bring any clothes, honey."

"What would you need them for?" Jennie wiggled her eyebrows.

Lisa rolled her eyes.

"If we're going to stay in a few days, I'm going to need at least some."

"Babe, we've got water, chocolates, and energy drink. It's everything we need. I don't plan on getting out of bed until necessary."

"What if I need to get some fresh air? As much as I love your family members, I don't want them to walk in on us and catch me on my birthday suit."

"No one's walking in on us. I'm calling grandma to keep everyone else to stay away from the ranch house because we'd be too busy making babies. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't complain."

"Oh my god!"

"What the-" Jennie, still on top of Lisa, shot a glare on the direction of the door upon hearing that familiar yelp. She tried to conceal hers and her wife's naked bodies with a pillow, which barely reached their legs.

Her sister Yeji was standing at the door with her eyes wide and mouth open.

Why didn't she close that door again?

Right, she was too busy taking off her wife's shirt.

"You're naked!" Yeji covered her eyes with her hands, but was still peeking every now and then.

Lisa's cheeks and ears were beet red. Embarrassed, she hid her face in the crook of Jennie's neck. She was just talking about this not too long ago.

"Good observation, genius. What the hell are you still doing standing there? Get out of here!"

"I'm sorry! Grandma wanted me to check on you!" Yeji should have known better upon seeing Lisa's Tesla parked outside. But she thought they were just talking things out, not having make-up sex.

"I'm a married woman, I don't need a babysitter! Why didn't you even knock?" Jennie could feel her wife squirming underneath her. She didn't know whether to laugh or continue being annoyed at her sister.

"Well, I was trying to call you but I guess you were too busy doing- never mind. I'm out of here. Oh gosh, I'm scarred for life!" Yeji ran out of the house. But before she could close the door, she called one last time.

"By the way, nice boobs, Lisa!"

Then they heard the door being slammed.

Lisa and Jennie exchanged looks, both looking flustered in embarrassment at what just transpired. Then they burst out laughing.

At dawn, when Lisa was asleep, Jennie picked up her iPhone and logged in to her twitter account.

She smiled at her wife before finally tweeting what she typed.

**@JennieKim**

나 평생 사랑할 거야, 라리사 마노반 김

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🤭🤭 i guess they did get their shit together in the end... now there’s only the epilogue left!! stick around for a time-jump and some flashbacks!!


	13. EPILOGUE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the last chapter! thank you everyone for reading and enjoying this story as much as i did!! this is probably just a one time thing for me, i don't know if i can ever top this jenlisa adaptation haha.. but if you ever find any amazing fics and are too busy to convert them yourself, feel free to consult me 😂😂 anyways, thanks again and enjoy! hopefully this chapter leaves you with closure :)
> 
> oh and if anyone ever wants to freak out about jenlisa or complain about the lack of a cb together, i'm always down to make new friends lmao

"Ready?"

_Jennie heard the famous voice on her earpiece. She stood fidgeting in front of One Times Square in Manhattan. Her friend Jimin was standing next to her with his guitar strapped around his shoulders, waving at some fans that were being kept at a distance by tons of security people. People were watching them eagerly and curiously._

_Brown eyes flickered up at the electronic billboards where she saw herself, wringing her hands and looking uncharacteristically nervous._

"I think I'm not the only one who's curious to know what married life is like for someone who used to be called Hollywood's most notorious playgirl."

_The actress heard the voice speak again._

" _You're interviewing me, seriously?" Jennie spoke loud enough to be picked up by the button-sized, wireless microphone attached to the front of her blouse._

"Well, this is my TALK show and you're my guest. What am I supposed to do?"

_There was a collective laughter from the crowd._

_Jennie could still feel her heart hammering loudly against her chest, but she couldn't help but laugh with them. Playfully, she rolled her eyes._

" _Ellen, you're not really helping." Jennie said to Ellen Degeneres who she could hear snickering on the other line. The famous host was apparently enjoying watching her squirm as the show televised her planned proposal. She did ask for the TV show host's help, and Ellen timed it with her show's anniversary episode._

_Jennie just didn't anticipate it was going to be this big._

_Not that Lisa deserved anything less._

_Jennie was nervous as hell. Who would have thought proposing to someone you're already married to could still be scary?_

"You look like you're about to puke." _Ellen playfully taunted her guest._

_There was laughter again._

" _Just make sure she's here before I pass out." Jennie said. She ran a hand on top of her right pocket to make sure the small box was still inside. She let out a sigh of relief upon feeling the small bulge._

_Just then, a video feed of Lisa replaced Jennie's image on the electronic billboards. The blonde was walking somewhere in Manhattan._

_Jennie's lips spread into a huge smile._

_She felt the nudge on her left side._

" _Why are you so nervous? It's not like Lisa's going to say no." Jimin chuckled at the way his friend was acting._

" _She COULD say no."_

" _Even if she does, which is highly unlikely, you guys are already married."_

_Even though Jimin was right, the thought still petrified Jennie. This was, after all, the first time she was really going to propose to Lisa and no one except the two of them knew that. She didn't want to fumble with words and embarrass herself and Lisa for the rest of the world to see._

" _Have you tried proposing to anyone before?" Jennie narrowed her eyes at him._

" _No."_

" _So then shut up and leave me in peace." Jennie said, sounding annoyed. She wasn't annoyed at her friend. She was just really anxious waiting for her cue._

_Jimin just shook his head in amusement and waited for Ellen's instructions. He gave the actress a friendly and reassuring pat on her shoulder before going back to charming his fans._

_A few blocks away, Lisa was walking with her new business partner and long-time friend, Nicole Zefanya. When Jennie told her they were going to New York for Ellen's anniversary episode, she asked Niki to come along so they could work on their new short film project._

" _Niki, what are you doing?" Lisa quirked an eyebrow, unsure when Niki managed to whip out that small camera on her hands that was now pointed at her._

" _Filming, obviously." Niki slyly grinned._

" _I thought we're just scouting locations."_

" _It's for Lilifilm."_

_Lisa chuckled in amusement._

" _I still have no idea why people watch those videos."_

" _Hey, they're artistic. Especially when you do that derp face of yours."_

" _Whatever. Try not to trip and- watch out!" Lisa yelped, closing her eyes as she did._

_Just in time, Niki managed to maneuver herself away from the post that she almost ran into._

_Slowly, Lisa opened her eyes again, sighing in relief upon seeing her friend still standing upright and with that annoying smirk plastered on her face._

" _Just cut it off, Niki." Lisa rolled her eyes at her friend who continued filming her. "I don't want to be calling my wife from the ER to tell her my friend injured herself for being such a dummy."_

" _Do you like being Jennie's wife?" Niki sneakily asked._

" _What kind of question is that? I LOVE being Jennie's wife. I'd marry her again if I could. And in my next life. And in my life after that." Lisa smiled bashfully._

" _Aww, you're so cute." Niki teased._

_Lisa felt the warmth that spread on her cheeks and ears. Niki turned a corner and Lisa followed._

_The blonde stopped on her tracks._

_A thick crowd of people gathered around the old Times Building, now One Times Square. Before Lisa could ask Niki what was going on in there, she heard the strumming of the guitar._

_And then her wife started singing._

_When she looked up, she saw Jennie on the electronic billboards, performing._

You by the light

Is the greatest find

In a world full of wrong

You're the thing that's right

Finally made it through the lonely

To the other side

_Silently, Lisa wondered. She was quite sure Times Square wasn't the venue of Ellen's anniversary episode. And Jennie didn't even mention she was going to be singing and that Jimin was going to be performing with her._

You set it again, my heart's in motion

Every word feels like a shooting star

I'm at the edge of my emotions

Watching the shadows burning in the dark

And I'm in love

And I'm terrified

For the first time and the last time

In my only life

_Lisa stood watching proudly. She just couldn't contain the joy and pride in her heart._

_The blonde's jaw dropped in surprise as the thick crowd parted like the Red Sea, revealing Jennie and Jimin. She didn't know what to do until she felt Niki gently pushing her forward. Upon seeing her wife smile at her, she reluctantly took the steps towards the brunette._

And this could be good

It's already better than that

And nothing's worse

Than knowing you're holding back

I could be all that you need

If you let me try

You set it again, my heart's in motion

Every word feels like a shooting star

I'm at the edge of my emotions

Watching the shadows burning in the dark

And I'm in love

And I'm terrified

For the first time and the last time

In my only life

_There was a shower of rose petals as Lisa walked through Times Square._

_A few steps away from Jennie, the blonde writer stopped._

I only said it 'cause I mean it

I only mean it 'cause it's true

So don't you doubt what I've been dreaming

'Cause it fills me up and holds me close whenever I'm without you

You set it again, my heart's in motion

Every word feels like a shooting star

I'm at the edge of my emotions

Watching the shadows burning in the dark

_Jennie took the last few steps to her wife, closing their distance._

And I'm in love

And I'm terrified

For the first time and the last time

In my only life

_Jennie never took her eyes away from Lisa the whole time she was singing, and now that the song was over, she was still staring at her lovingly._

_There was complete silence as they stood in front of each other, smiling._

" _Babe, you're supposed to be on the Ellen show." Lisa reached up with her right hand, caressing her wife's cheek. She always felt the need to touch Jennie whenever they were near each other._

" _I am." Jennie smiled. "We are, honey." She was visibly nervous and was trying to hide it._

_Lisa turned her eyes up to the electronic billboards and felt embarrassed all of a sudden to see herself._

" _Oh, did I walk through a shot? I'm sorry, I can-" The blonde was about to turn around and walk away when she felt Jennie tugging at her hand._

" _Honey…" Jennie looked at her reassuringly._

_Lisa looked curiously at her wife. She then looked around._

" _Uh, what's going on?"_

_Jennie interlocked her hand with Lisa's and squeezed before answering._

" _I want the world to know how much I love you."_

_Lisa slightly blushed. It was still unbelievable to her that they were together now, for real. And everytime Jennie told her that she loves her, it felt like it was the first time._

" _I found you when I wasn't even looking. Before you, I never knew what real happiness is like. I wasn't really living. You asked me once when I realized I'd fallen in love with you, and I told you I didn't know. But this morning, when I woke up to you and my eyes found yours, I remembered."_

_Jennie paused as she let her mind revisit the memories of their first meeting._

" _It was the first time that our eyes met. Do you remember? I got lost in those pair of browns. I fell hard and never really recovered since then, although I didn't know how to define how I felt at_ _that time. It was all new to me. I think we were having a moment then, but of course I had to ruin it. I'm good at ruining moments. It's what I do."_

_Lisa chuckled. Looking back to the day when they first met, they did lock eyes before all the hilarious 'accidents' happened. She remembered that jolt in her heart upon seeing Jennie for the first time._

" _Baby, I know how much you love in-bed proposals, but I'm not satisfied of the way I 'proposed' the last time and I really just want to marry you again anyway. I'm SO in love with you I can't even describe how happy I am. So I'm doing this here and now."_

_Jennie got on her knee and lifted the small, black, velvet box that had been stuffed in the pocket of her pants. She opened it, revealing a very beautiful ring._

_Lisa's mouth formed in an 'o'._

" _I'm offering you everything that I am. I'm warning you though that I'm not much of a catch being the impatient, stubborn, annoying, imperfect person that you know me to be. But if you take me, I promise, and I'm going to make sure that I will spend the rest of my life making you happy, the way you do to me." Jennie felt her eyes watering as she spoke the words. Her hands shook as she lifted the small box for her wife to see._

" _Oh my god, babe, I'm wearing sweats and you're proposing to me on national TV!" Lisa worried as she remembered how she was dressed. Well, it wasn't her fault. Niki did tell her they were just going to find locations for their next short film. She didn't realize that her conniving business partner, and close friend was scheming with Jennie._

_Jennie chuckled nervously._

" _You always look so beautiful, sweetheart."_

_Pause._

_Jennie swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking again._

" _Lalisa Manoban-Kim, love of my life, my soulmate, will you marry me?"_

_Lisa stared at Jennie in disbelief. Sure they were already married, but how they got there wasn't romantic. But this one, this was real. Jennie was down on one knee and offering her a ring. This is where they were really going to begin._

_Jennie was pledging herself, ready to commit._

_So was Lisa._

_Lisa was crying her tears of joy that she couldn't get her answer out._

_Jennie was fidgeting inside at the amount of time her wife was taking to respond._

" _Even if you say no, you know that you'd still be married to me anyway, right?" Jennie looked uneasy as she waited for her wife's answer._

" _Jennie_ _."_

" _What?"_

" _Don't ruin the moment."_

_Everybody laughed._

_Jennie heard Ellen snorting in her earpiece._

" _Yes. Of course, I will marry you! It's the only answer!"_

_Lisa felt her heart jump as Jennie slid in her first and real engagement ring. As soon as Jennie stood up, she grabbed the collar of her blouse and pulled her in for a long, mind-blowing kiss…_

"Aww. You're like a love sick puppy when you miss her."

Taehyung's voice didn't surprise Jennie. She did hear him walk into her trailer while she was watching the five-year old proposal clip on Ellen's YouTube channel in her laptop. It had been a week since the last time she'd seen her family. She was filming the Justice League movie where she'd be donning her Batwoman costume for the last time and they were on a tight schedule. She could barely sneak in some time to see her family and Taehyung was right on when he said that she misses Lisa. But Lisa wasn't the only one she was missing.

"Not just her."

Taehyung smiled knowingly.

"How's my favorite god-son?"

A huge smile formed on Jennie's face after hearing her friend talk about her first-born.

"Hard to restrain. He's running everywhere and everyone has to keep an eye on him 24/7. Last week, he started climbing the stairs, I had to chase him."

"No doubt he's your son, then."

Jennie chuckled.

"I'm sure he's tiring the hell out of my parents right now."

"They're staying with your parents?" Taehyung sat on the couch as Jennie swiveled her chair around to face her agent/friend.

"It's Lili's month and I don't want them to be alone in the house just in case she gives birth earlier than expected, you know. And besides, we decided to have our baby at the family hospital in Valencia."

"Jennie Kim, family woman. Who would have thought?"

"Manoban-Kim." Jennie corrected with a smile.

"Right." Taehyung smiled back.

Jennie seemed to be lost in thought for a while.

"This all feels too good to be true, bee."

"What do you mean?" He looked curiously at his friend.

"I don't know what I did to deserve all of this, you know. To deserve _them_."

"Believe it or not, you are a good person, Jennie. You and Lisa totally deserve each other."

Jennie recalled the time she found out they were having their first baby.

_Jennie had just wrapped up a scene and was so glad to be heading back to her trailer after a 16-hour shoot. Her muscles were aching due to the demanding fight scenes and she was way beyond tired. She had been fitting training, working out and filming in her schedule that she barely saw her wife._

_Fortunately, the third and final sequel of Batwoman would be done filming in a few days and she couldn't wait to go back into Lisa's arms._

_The actress grabbed a plastic bottle of Gatorade on her way back. She entered her trailer and just as she was about to pass out in her bed, her jaw dropped on the floor, along with the bottle._

_Her wife was in her trailer, sitting on top of her bed in a sexy, suggestive position, wearing a sultry look on her face and nothing but her red hot Savage X Fenty lingerie._

_Jennie gulped._

_There was a sudden knocking on her trailer door._

" _Ms. Kim, is everything okay?" It was the PA. She probably heard the loud thud that the bottle of Gatorade made on the floor._

_Lisa displayed that sexy smirk of hers, daring her wife to answer the door._

" _I'm fine! Don't worry!" She watched as the blonde strutted her way towards her, swaying her hips more than necessary._

_Jennie's throat felt suddenly dry._

_She rushed to the door._

" _Are you sure because-"_

" _Hey, uhm, could you push my schedule a little? Maybe three hours, my wifey's here." Jennie said, slightly opening the door, making sure that the PA wouldn't see anything even if she tried to look inside. She felt her wife move in behind her._

" _I'll let you be on top." Lisa husked in Jennie's ear, causing a shiver._

_Jennie cleared her throat._

" _Uhm, five hours?" Jennie amended, hoping that the PA did not notice the tremble of anticipation in her voice._

_Lisa said something on her ear again._

" _You can wear the toy." The blonde purposely made it loud enough for the PA to hear._

_The production assistant standing by the trailer door turned beet red and Jennie was sure the girl was just as embarrassed – although not as turned on – as she was right now._

_Jennie's face felt hot._

_PA girl cleared her throat._

" _Uh…"_

" _Just tell everyone I'm not getting out of my trailer until tomorrow. Anyone who disturbs me or so much as knocks is seriously going to die." Before the PA could answer, Jennie had already slammed the door close._

_Several positions and multiple orgasms later, both Lisa and Jennie lay plastered on the bed. The blonde was curled up on Jennie's side, and the brunette had her arms protectively around her wife._

" _Wow." Lisa breathed out._

" _Yeah, wow." Jennie chuckled._

" _Mmm… babe, you're going to have to give me a minute to recover because that was THE most fantastic orgasm I've ever had in my life."_

" _It's okay. Take all the time that you need, sweetheart. I'll be here when you wake up." Jennie gave her a wife a kiss on her forehead._

" _You just got me pregnant." Lisa seriously stated._

_Jennie chuckled again._

" _Wouldn't that be awesome?" The brunette actress grinned._

_They both laughed._

_Lisa pulled back a little and ran her hands on her wife's dark locks._

" _I am, you know."_

" _Huh?" Jennie asked absent-mindedly. Their previous activities exhausted her more but she was fighting sleep because she just loved listening to her wife's voice._

_Pause,_

" _I'm pregnant."_

_Jennie's eyes widened. She pulled back a little to be able to look at her wife. Her eyes met those familiar pair of browns._

" _I'm having your baby."_

_Jennie just lay there, staring at her._

" _Babe, please say something because you're starting to scare me."_

" _Oh my god, you're not joking."_

" _I'm assuming that you're taking this positively?"_

" _What? Of course! I'm so happy, oh my god, we're finally having a baby!"_

" _Yes, we are having a baby."_

_The brunette's eyes traveled down to her wife's stomach. There wasn't any visible change, but knowing that there was a life growing inside of it, her heart swelled with joy. She reached down and caressed Lisa's stomach gently._

" _We're having a baby." Jennie spoke up, still in awe. All those trials, all those money spent, it finally paid off._

" _Yes honey, we are."_

" _Oh my god." Jennie teared up, the reality of it all finally sinking in. She was smiling, but tears of joy were streaming down her face. Her wife's hands cupped her face and forced her to look at her. When their eyes met, she found doe eyes shining with tears as well._

" _We're going to be a complete family."_

" _I'm so happy. You made me so happy." Jennie sobbed._

" _No. YOU made me happy."_

" _I love you."_

" _I love you too, Jennie."_

_Then Jennie slid lower, untangling herself from her wife. She leveled her head with Lisa's stomach. The blonde watched as the actress stared at her flat abs, and then leaned down, pressing her ear against her stomach as if to listen for any sound._

_Lisa watched in amusement as her wife caressed her abs and placed soft, butterfly kisses on top of it._

" _Hello babies, this is your mama."_

" _Babies?" Lisa arched an eyebrow._

" _Well, grandma's going to hurt me if I didn't knock you up with twins."_

_Lisa laughed. She stroke her wife's brunette hair with her hand._

" _That's not true."_

" _Mama can't wait to see you Minho and Ella." Jennie cooed on her wife's abs._

" _Honey, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you know that there's a bigger possibility that we're not having twins, right?"_

_Jennie kissed Lisa's stomach again._

" _I know. But I can dream." The brunette smiled. She looked back up at her wife, not bothering to go back to her previous position. Now that she knew about the growing baby in her wife's_ _tummy, she just wanted to be close to him, or her. Or both._

_Jennie reached for one of Lisa's hands that were still brushing her hair and intertwined it with one of her own._

" _That's why you came all the way here? You wanted to tell me the good news?"_

" _Well, that, and I really missed you."_

_Jennie smiled widely._

" _I missed you too. But you shouldn't have traveled so far. You should have just called me and I would have come to you. You're having our baby, sweetheart. I'd battle storms just to get to you."_

" _I wanted to tell you in person. And don't be so paranoid. I'm just pregnant, not invalid."_

_Jennie stopped in thought._

_Lisa wondered what her wife was thinking._

" _I wasn't so rough, was I? I didn't hurt the baby with all those, uh… you know." Jennie blushed at the memory of the previous lovemaking._

_Lisa chuckled at how adorable her wife was being._

" _Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean we can't make love. I mean, the doctor even told me that I'd probably crave for more of you because of my hormones. Better make sure you can keep up with me then." Lisa winked at her wife; her lips forming into a huge grin._

" _Are you challenging me? I think you're the one who should be worried about keeping up." Jennie joked._

_They both laughed._

_Months later, Minho Manoban-Kim was born._

It was late when Jennie parked her Range Rover outside her parents' home in Valencia. She tiptoed into the house as silently as possible, knowing everybody was already asleep. Her first stop was the guest room that had been turned into a child's bedroom.

Quietly and carefully, she pushed the door open.

There in the room dimly lit by the bedside lamp, she could make out the small figure of her son Minho sprawled on the bed, sleeping peacefully. The little brunette boy had the tendency to kick everything off the bed, and tonight wasn't an exception. He had already kicked his blanket off.

Jennie smiled.

She walked to her child's bedside and picked up the blanket. She tucked her son in and sat there, watching him sleep for a moment.

Minho was growing up so fast.

_Just like the previous years, Lisa and Jennie would be spending Christmas vacation with Jennie's parents in Valencia, but this time, they had an addition to the bunch._

_It was Minho's first Christmas._

" _Oh gosh, he's so adorable. He looks just like you, Lisa." Yeji gushed about her nephew who was giggling in her arms. It was the first time she'd seen Minho since she wasn't able to come home when Lisa gave birth. Her schedule had been so hectic lately, especially when she started law proper._

" _Unbelievable, right?" Jennie looked on proudly at her laughing son._

_Minho was tugging at her Auntie Yeji's long hair and the future lawyer wasn't minding it at all._

" _Thank god he only got your hair." Jungwoo Kim joked._

_Jennie rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the smile. She fixed her eyes on her son, who seemed to have developed people skills. At one year, he was so good at charming people already._

_Maybe he got that from his godmother, Jisoo._

_Jungwoo was right. Minhho only got Jennie's hair color._

_But Jennie was okay with that because as Minho grew older, he was starting to look like her wife._

_When Lisa agreed to be the one to carry their children, she agreed on one condition: that they'd be using Jennie's egg to be fertilized by the sperm donor. They went through a rigorous search to find a donor that would have the closest similarities with Lisa. From the file that they got, their donor was also Thai, and he had the same hair and eye color. He was also_ _an artist, not a dancer, but a band guitarist._

_It was truly incredible._

" _You know, I don't really see what my sister found in you. I mean, you're like the biggest man-child I've ever seen in my entire life." Jennie said, purposely messing with Jungwoo who was used to her teasing by now._

" _Oh, but you love me." Jungwoo winked._

" _Eww." Jennie shivered._

_Jungwoo, Yeji and Lisa laughed._

_It had been a few months since Yeji and Jungwoo started dating, to everyone's surprise. They started hanging out together when Jungwoo moved to New York, and things bloomed from there._

" _Hey little buddy! Come to Uncle Jungkookie" The new doctor joined their group and took Minho from Yeji just when Jennie was about to._

_Jennie threw an annoyed look at her brother. She barely had the chance to hold her son since arriving at her parents' home earlier that day. Grandma had monopolized Minho, and when it wasn't her, it was Jia or Hojin. Now add Yeji and Jungkook and all the other Kims, with the exception of Chungha who's already married and spending the holidays with her wife's family, and Hanbin, who's overseas with his girlfriend._

_Lisa wrapped an arm around her wife's waist and pulled her closer. She softly kissed her on the cheek and then smiled reassuringly at her._

" _Tell me I'm your favorite uncle." Jungkook tickled his nephew's chest, causing him to giggle uncontrollably._

_Lisa smiled as she watched her son interact comfortably with other people._

" _He's going to be a heartbreaker." Yeji remained watching her nephew adoringly. Jungwoo reached for her hand and lightly squeezed it. The youngest Kim turned her attention from Minho to her boyfriend and gave him a smile._

" _Unfortunately, one of the few things he's getting from Jennie." Jungwoo smirked at Jennie._

" _You're threading on thin ice, Kim." Jennie playfully narrowed her eyes at Jungwoo._

_He just shrugged._

" _Now where is my favorite grandchild?"_

_Every heads turned as grandma walked into the living room where everybody was gathered around the Manoban-Kim's little bundle of joy._

" _I'm here, grandma." Jennie grinned at Eunseo._

_Grandma frowned at the actress._

" _Not you." Without saying anything further, grandma took Minho from Jungkook. "Hello, Minho. Are these people scaring you?" She cooed as she brought him to the couch with her._

_Jungkook and Yeji exchanged amused looks._

_Lisa chuckled at the hard-to-determine expression on her wife's face._

_While she was all of a sudden downgraded to a non-favorite, Jennie couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips upon watching her grandmother with her son. It was fun to watch Eunseo baby-talking with Minho._

_They were fun to watch._

_Jungwoo, Yeji and Jungkook headed to the dining room upon hearing Jia calling them for dinner, leaving Lisa and Jennie on the living room. They remained standing and leaning against and holding each other as they waited for grandma to get tired of holding their son._

_That didn't seem a possibility until they saw the expression on grandma's face change._

_Slowly, she got up from the couch and carefully handed Minho to Jennie._

_As soon as Minho was back in Jennie's arms, she immediately knew what was wrong._

_The brunette narrowed her eyes at her grandmother._

" _How come you could have him when he's all clean but you give him back to us when he needs diaper-changing?" Jennie raised her eyebrow at her grandmother._

" _I'm a busy person. I've got things to do." Eunseo seemed to be in a rush to get out of the living room._

" _Oh, I'm sure. Like watching dramas." Jennie rolled her eyes._

_Lisa laughed._

" _It's okay grandma. I can take care of Minho. Now I know where Jennie got her diaper-phobia from." The blonde took her son from Jennie and proceeded to their bedroom upstairs._

" _What? I don't have diaper-phobia." Jennie followed after her wife and son._

" _Well, you sure as hell run faster than the Flash whenever Minho pees or poops." The blonde writer teased._

_Jennie blushed. Upon reaching the door to their bedroom, she opened the door for her family and entered after them._

" _I'm just not good with diapers." She tried to reason._

" _Uh-huh. Or you're just purposely avoiding diaper duties." Lisa pulled the newly-installed changing table in their bathroom and placed Minho down._

_Jennie picked up a diaper from the huge stack in a nearby closet and handed it to Lisa._

_Minho kept mumbling, trying to speak as his mommy cleaned him and changed his diapers. He kept laughing at his mama who was playing peek-a-boo with him._

_Jennie encouraged her son to speak, mouthing 'mommy' and 'mama'._

_When Lisa was done with diaper-changing, she tickled her son by nuzzling his neck. And just as he was laughing, he squealed his first word._

_Minho's first word was 'mommy'._

Before leaving the room, Jennie kissed her son on the forehead.

Their bedroom was dark and quiet and their bed was empty when Jennie entered. From where she stood, she saw the faint light coming from the bathroom and knew immediately where Lisa was.

"Honey, I'm home." Jennie softly called. She placed her purse on top of the vanity table and took her shoes and jacket off.

"In the bath, babe."

Jennie followed the muffled voice and was surprised to find her wife in the tub late at night. Lisa beckoned her to join. Feeling the need for a hot bath, and with the tempting fact that her naked wife was already there, Jennie stripped off every piece of her clothing.

"Can you do that slower and with music?" Brown eyes raked up and down Jennie's body.

Jennie chuckled.

"You're about to give birth and you're still that horny?" Jennie took the remaining steps towards the tub.

"You can't really blame someone who has a wife that looks like you." Lisa made a room for Jennie behind her.

Jennie carefully got into the tub and positioned herself behind her wife in whatever comfortable position the small space would allow. When Jennie was set, she motioned for Lisa to lean back against her.

Lisa's back molded perfectly against Jennie's front. The actress reveled at the feeling of being this close and intimate with her wife. A week was a very long time and she missed Lisa a lot.

Jennie wrapped her arms around Lisa's side, and her hands rested on top of the blonde's swollen belly. She rested her chin on top of Lisa's left shoulder.

"How was your day?" The actress asked, leaving a kiss on Lisa's shoulder blade.

"Exhausting."

"Should I blame Minho or your pregnancy?"

"How about both?"

Jennie let out a small chuckle. She then started placing featherlight kisses on the side of Lisa's neck.

"Hmm…" Lisa hummed. "How's the movie going?"

"Great actually, but I didn't enjoy filming that much. I couldn't wait to get home to you." Jennie gently bit on the side of her wife's neck, eliciting a moan. Jennie grinned. Her tongue shot out and licked that particular part of skin, causing Lisa to moan even louder.

All the while, Jennie's hands were gently caressing her wife's belly.

There was a kick, and then she felt a continuous movement on Lisa's belly.

"Oh my god, she's moving. Ella is moving, babe. Is she like, dancing?" Jennie beamed.

"Yeah, she'd been doing that a lot today." The blonde smiled.

Lisa grabbed one of Jennie's hands and held it close to her heart.

"I was watching our wedding video this morning."

"The real one?" Jennie asked, referring to their second wedding when everything became all real for them.

Lisa nodded.

"You looked so beautiful." Lisa leaned her head back on Jennie, while Jennie held her tight.

"Not as beautiful as you." Jennie kissed Lisa on her left cheek and then on her lips.

_Their real wedding was everything Jennie dreamed of and more._

_It was a beach wedding at the Montage Laguna Beach._

_Yeji was still Jennie's 'bestwoman'. Tzuyu, Jihyo and Dahyun were still her bridesmaids._

_Chaeyoung was still Lisa's maid of honor. But this time, Niki was also there._

_Jennie was still the one that stood waiting for Lisa. Technically, it was their first wedding and Jennie didn't want to be the one walking. She wanted to see Lisa walking to her._

_Jisoo turned down being part of Jennie's entourage so she could sing their wedding song with Nayeon. Their eyes searched for eachother's as the designer sang the first lyrics to the song._

I was a girl who always played around in love

So quick to take but so afraid to give enough

But now I've found the one

And heaven will only know

What only my eyes can say

And time can't take away

_Jennie smiled at her bestfriend and mouthed a 'thank you'._

_Just then, she saw Lisa._

_Then Nayeon started singing her part._

I was a girl, who trusted no one with my heart

And the dreams that young girls dream

Were just vanishing in the dark

But now I've found the one

And heaven will only know

What only my eyes can say

They say

_Jisoo and Nayeon looked at each other, and began their duet._

That I will take you forever

And there will never be anyone else in my heart but you

And I will take you forever

And there will never be anyone else but you

Anyone else but you

_For the second time, Jennie cried when she saw Lisa in her wedding dress. Dr. Kim walked next to Lisa, looking proudly at her daughter who was bawling her eyes out at the altar._

Now my heart belongs to you

And I will always be your bestfriend

Now my secrets are safe with you

And the magic will never end

Now you are the one

And heaven will only know

What only our eyes can say

They say

_It was indeed a magical night. At the reception, Jennie and Lisa made sure to make the most of their first real dance as a real married couple. And when they were asked to dance with other people, they never took their eyes off each other._

_When Jennie was dancing with her brother and Lisa was dancing with her father-in-law, their eyes immediately searched for their respective other half._

_At the same time, they mouthed 'I love you' to each other._

"How's Jisoo?" Lisa asked curiously. Since that day she finally confessed her feelings for Jennie, her and Jisoo had been great friends. She felt a little bit guilty everytime she thought of how jealous she previously was of the designer, but she tried making up for it by being a great friend to Jisoo as well.

"I haven't heard from her for a while. I think she's still in New York." Jennie answered.

"Is she dating anyone?"

"I have no idea. Just a few flings, I heard." As Jennie thought about it, she realized that Jisoo hadn't really had a long-time relationship in a while. She heard she was going out on dates, but no one exclusive.

"She's spending too much time with Nayeon, don't you think?"

Jennie quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen press and paparazzi photos. They looked cute together."

Jennie snorted.

"You don't agree?" Lisa asked curiously.

"I do, it's just they're not together, you know. Nayeon's bi but Chu is so straight."

"You're still sure of that?"

Jennie turned an amused look at her wife.

"You think there's something going on there?"

"Have you even seen how touchy-feely they were being in those pictures?"

"Chu's always touchy-feely." Jennie chuckled.

"You're her bestfriend, but she was never like that with you."

"Well, I'm married, and I'm sure she didn't want to give you any wrong ideas."

"Was she touchy-feely with you before we were married?" Lisa investigated. She was just genuinely curious. She felt that there was something that was going on, she just wasn't sure what it was. If her suspicions are true then, she'd be happy because Jisoo deserved someone who could make her happy.

That suddenly got Jennie thinking.

And then it suddenly hit her like a truck.

Jisoo had always been more touchy-feely with Nayeon than with her.

And she was Jisoo's bestfriend, after all.

Jennie shrugged and went back to the task of caressing Lisa's swollen belly and kissing her neck.

"You're right. They looked cute together." Jennie smiled as her lips indulged in the soft skin of her wife's smooth neck. "But can we not ruin our mood by talking about them?"

The brunette's hands traveled from Lisa's belly up to her breasts. Jennie sensually caressed and kneaded her wife's breast as she continued nipping at her neck.

"Honey, you've got to stop doing that because you're turning me on." Lisa breathed out and winced upon feeling the pain that had been repeating for an hour now. She ignored it at first, thinking it was just a passing pain since it was too early for her to go on labor.

"And that's a bad thing because…?"

"Because I think I'm on labor."

"What?" Jennie's eyes widened and she pulled back to look at Lisa's face that was now contorting in pain.

"On second thought, I'm sure I am on labor." Lisa grimaced, gripping tightly on her wife's hands for support.

Jennie hissed as her wife almost pulverized her fingers with the way she was clutching to them.

"Mom!" The brunette rushed to get out of the tub. She ran back to the bedroom and snatched some clothes for Lisa and jumped into her underwear, sweatpants and Lisa's t-shirt, not bothering with a bra.

She ran back to the bathroom and helped her wife out of the tub.

"MOM!" Jennie screamed her lungs out.

She was helping her wife get into a large maternity dress when Jia came rushing into the bedroom, looking disheveled after being woken from sleep.

"Jennie, what are you screaming about? You're going to wake up your son and do you know how hard it is to-" Jia turned into the bathroom and found the couple looking frantic.

"Lili's in labor!" Jennie helped her wife shuffle out of the bathroom.

Jia's mouth dropped open in realization.

"Can you call dad? We're coming in!" Jennie rushed to grab their bags and out of the room with Lisa and the key to Lisa's car. It would be easier to get her into the Tesla than the Range Rover.

"Oh! Okay, I'm calling your father now." Jia then grabbed the phone on Jennie's bedside table and dialed her husband's number.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Jennie didn't realize how long she had been standing outside of the neonatal unit, watching her daughter through the glass window. Not like she cared. She could stand there and look at her daughter all day.

She wouldn't say strange, but she was more surprised that both their children were taking more after Lisa than her. Granted, it was her eggs that were fertilized by the sperm from their donor and Lisa was the one who carried them, still, she couldn't help but stare in awe. Even their newborn baby girl had Lisa's natural hair color, fair skin, and Jennie was guessing, big doe brown eyes. Except for the nose and lips, it seemed Ella inherited nothing of Jennie's physical characteristics. Just like Minho.

No, she wasn't complaining.

Jennie was absolutely proud.

"She's beautiful." Bambam said. He had arrived early that morning as soon as Chaeyoung told her that Lisa had already given birth to their second child.

"Just like her mommy." Jennie's eyes watered.

"What are you naming her?" The dancer turned to the proud mother.

"Ella. Her name is Ella." The brunette wiped the tears the fell that ran freely down to her cheeks.

Bambam offered her his handkerchief and Jennie gratefully accepted.

There was that feeling again; the feeling as if her heart was going to burst because of happiness.

"It fits her."

Pause.

"Bambam?"

He chuckled.

"I think this is the first time you didn't call me 'Junior'."

Jennie laughed.

"Thank you."

Thinking that Jennie was thanking him for being there, he smiled.

"What are friends for? I figured you'd need some company and Chae agreed to stay home with Joowon, so-"

If it wasn't for Bambam and Chaeyoung, for their crazy idea of selling Lisa's house, she wouldn't have bought it. She wouldn't have gotten to know her wife and wouldn't have married her. She would have been still confused about her feelings for her bestfriend Jisoo. She wouldn't have Minho and now, Ella.

As crazy as it sounds, Bambam and Chaeyoung saved her life.

They brought Lisa into her life.

She couldn't be more thankful.

"Lili is waiving her rights to the dance studio."

Jennie, for the first time, turned her eyes away from Ella. She spun around to face Bambam, just in time to catch the look of astonishment on his face.

"We've talked about it and I agreed. The studio is all yours now." She smiled at the dancer.

"What?" Bam asked in disbelief.

Jennie chuckled.

"Minho alone is already a handful." She feigned protest.

"Tell me about it." Bambam said.

There was no doubt that Minho got his mischievous antics from her mama Jennie. His son Joowon, was shy and a little bit older than Minho. They became fast friends though, despite the difference in age and their personalities. With Minho's influence, Joowon was becoming a bit more extroverted and while Bambam appreciated this, sometimes, those two together were just too much to handle. And he had a lot of handling to do especially when Minho was being dropped by their house for a playdate or when Jennie and Lisa couldn't find a babysitter.

"And now we have Ella. Lili is absolutely enjoying motherhood and while she'd always love dancing, family comes first and foremost. She'd still be dancing if not filming shorts in the future, so please keep that option open for her. But now, the studio is all yours. You don't owe her anything anymore."

"Wow, uhm, I don't know what to say."

"A thank you would be fine."

Bambam still couldn't believe what he just heard. They still hadn't paid Lisa the amount that they owed her for selling her house as they promised, and now, they didn't have to pay anything.

He gave Jennie a short, awkward hug.

"Why are you doing this?" Bambam asked after he pulled back.

"It was Lili's idea, and I thought it was a brilliant one. I'll have more time with her, and you can be in control with your business."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank _you._ "

That's when the sound of little footsteps made both their heads turn. Two-year old Minho Manoban-Kim waddled towards Jennie and jumped into his mama's arms, his brunette hair straying in front of his big brown eyes glimmering with excitement. Jennie tucked his unruly hair at the back of his ear and gave her son a lingering kiss on his forehead before looking up at her own mother, who was walking towards her with a smile.

"Hi mom." The actress then turned her attention back to the cute toddler in her arms.

Minho's arms were gripping tightly at the back of his mama's neck.

"Hey, isn't it too early for you to be awake, sweetie?" Jennie pulled back so she could look at her son.

"But am missing mama." His eyebrows contorted the same way his mama's did.

Bambam chuckled at the uncanny similarity. He excused himself and headed back to the hospital cafeteria for coffee.

"I miss you too." Jennie smiled. She playfully nuzzled Minho's neck, tickling the child in the process. Minho giggled uncontrollably.

His giggles, on the other hand, was as melodious as his mommy's.

"He heard your voice last night. I told him I'd bring him later, but he threw a fit and broke grandma's favorite vase." Jia informed her, looking amused.

"What?" Jennie's eyes widened. "Minho, did you break grandma's vase?" It was hard to sound convincing as she chastised her son but it needed to be done. She didn't want Minho to grow up thinking he'd get everything he wanted.

Minho buried his face in Jennie's neck.

Jennie couldn't help but smile.

"Did you say sorry?"

She felt him nod against her neck.

"How's grandma taking it?" Jennie asked her mother.

"Very well, actually. You know she couldn't resist Minho's pout." Jia smiled. She rumpled her grandson's hair as Minho pulled back from his mama's neck.

"I know, right? He got that from Lili. It's the Manoban's secret weapon, apparently. And this snuggle-bug right here already knows exactly how to use it." Jennie rubbed her nose against her son's, causing Minho to snicker again.

Jennie noticed her son staring at the babies from the window. He looked so curious.

"Minho?"

"Hmm?"

"That's your little sister, sweetie." Jennie pointed to her daughter sleeping peacefully in her crib.

Minho beamed. He tried to reach out, but his small little hands just hit the thick glass separating them from the newest Manoban-Kim family member. His eyebrows contorted in confusion. He tried to reach out again and when the glass panel got in his way for the second time, he full-on scowled.

Jia chuckled. While her grandson's physical characteristics were more coming from Lisa's, the scowl was perfectly Jennie's.

"Elle?" Minho asked.

"Ella." Jennie corrected her son.

"Ella?" Minho repeated.

"Yup. Do you want to meet her?"

"Excited!" Minho's eyes lit up at his mother's question.

The adults chuckled at Minho's enthusiasm.

"She's sleeping right now though. How about we ask them to bring your sister to mommy's room when she's awake so you can give her a kiss? Does that sound okay?"

"Okay, mama."

"Let's go visit mommy. I'm sure she misses you a lot." Jennie kissed her son on his head again.

"I miss her too!"

Jennie gave her daughter one last proud glance before walking back to her wife's room with Minho in her arms.

About two hours later, Lisa woke up to see her wife sleeping on the couch with Minho sleeping on his stomach on top of his mama.

Despite of feeling like she'd been hit by a truck, Lisa couldn't help but smile. She tried searching for her iPhone to take their photo but it wasn't on the bedside table. They probably had forgotten to pick it up in their haste to get to the hospital.

She sighed in disappointment. When would she catch another moment like that to capture?

The door then opened and her parents-in-law came in. That was when she saw the little bundle in her father-in-law's arms. Jia and grandma followed him behind with huge smiles on their faces. Jennie was woken up by the footsteps and the sudden presence in the room.

Jennie locked eyes with her wife and smiled. She woke her son.

"Wake up, snuggle bug. Your little sister is here." The brunette whispered to Minho.

Without further waking up needed, Minho squinted his eyes and they widened comically with glee upon seeing all of his grandmothers and grandfather in the same room. Jennie brought him to his mommy's bedside. Dr. Kim handed Ella to Lisa.

Both Jennie and Lisa started crying.

Minho was looking curiously at his parents and then shifted his attention to the little baby in his mommy's arms.

"Sweetie, this is your sister, Ella Manoban-Kim." Jennie said to Minho.

"Hello, Ella." Minho reached to hold his sister's tiny hand. His parents chuckled at the effort.

Jennie wiped her wife's tears and kissed her on her forehead. She leaned down and kissed Ella on her head. Minho followed, mimicking his mama's actions.

Without them realizing it, Dr. Kim took their first ever family photo.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

It felt just like yesterday.

It had been an incredible journey from the first day they met to the present day. Whenever they reminisce together, all the good and the bad things said and done, both Lisa and Jennie found it hard to believe how long they'd come.

When Lisa said yes to Jennie, for real, Jennie was the happiest person alive.

When Minho and Ella came to their life, they didn't need anything more.

They were settled.

They had everything that they could ask for.

That's what Jennie was thinking as she stood by the pool carrying Ella in her arms and watching her son Minho with his Uncle Jin in the pool. It was the seventh month since her daughter was born, and they threw a pool party in their house for a small number of their close friends. It was also a sort of moving away party.

Jennie was singing a song to her baby girl when Lisa walked back out from inside the house in her black two-piece. She shamelessly stared at her wife who was unbelievably back to her shape after months of dancing. It was Lisa's way of working out and it worked quite well.

"Honey, Taehyung's here!" Lisa yelled from the other side of the pool.

Jennie nodded and looked around. Jisoo was nearest.

"Baby girl, can you hold my baby girl for a bit? I just need to talk to bee." Jennie grinned at her bestfriend.

Jisoo chuckled and got up from the edge of the pool.

"Hey little princess, Auntie Chu's going to take care of you for a while, alright?" Jennie said to Ella who just gurgled in return.

Jennie handed her baby over to her bestfriend and walked around to the other side of the pool, passing by Namjoon and Jimin who were cooking the barbecues, and then Tzuyu, Jihyo and her wife who were sunbathing. Niki, Dahyun, Yoongi, Chaeyoung, Bambam with Joowon and Jin with Minho were teaching the kids to swim on the pool. Nayeon had joined Jisoo in taking care of Ella.

"Hi bee!" Jennie welcomed her agent/friend. She handed him a bottle of Corona.

"Thanks bee."

"Glad you made it."

"Thanks for inviting me."

"You need to relax sometimes. Where's Joohyun?"

"Out of town. I guess I was just in time, huh?" Taehyung took his shirt off, leaving him in his board shorts. He sat on the edge of the pool and waved at Jennie's childhood friends that he'd gotten to know over the years.

Jennie sat beside him.

"So, you're really moving?"

"That's the plan."

"Have you thought about what I told you?"

Since she'd told Taehyung about their move to a bigger house in a gated community in Orange County, he'd been trying to convince her to sell their Eagle Rock property. Jennie refused him outright but the agent was persistent.

"I told you bee, we're not selling."

"But you're moving. What are you gonna do with this house? It's just going to go to waste if no one's going to live here." Taehyung said.

"Bee, nothing can change our mind. We're going to keep the house." Jennie's eyes flickered momentarily at the direction of her wife who was chatting with Jihyo.

Then she continued.

"Lili's dad built it, and I've got so many good memories in here. It's part of our bargain. Neither of us wanted to alter the house and make it bigger, so we decided to move to a bigger one to give more room for the kids. But just because we're moving doesn't mean we're never going back here. We'll probably be here every weekend. We have friends here, and Lili wants to keep dancing at the studio whenever she finds time. And Minho is best friends with Joowon, so..."

"Fine, but if you change your mind, call me. Someone's really willing to pay big bucks for this precious little house of yours."

"You know it's not about the money."

A few hours and tons of bottles of Corona later, Jimin, Namjoon and Niki were a tad tipsy. Tzuyu was starting to talk too much, and the rest handled their alcohol better.

Jennie had taken out her camera and had been taking pictures, most of her children and her wife. Ella was already in her crib on the far side of the pool area with Minho, Jisoo and Nayeon.

One particular shot of her children got Jennie smiling widely.

"What are you smiling about?"

Jennie heard her wife calling at her attention, purposely sounding flirty. She turned around and started clicking photos of her wife, who was still on the sun lounger. After a few more shots, she walked towards Lisa and straddled her.

"Our cute little kids. And what are _you_ thinking about?" Jennie placed her camera down on the grass. As soon as her hands were free, she wrapped her arms around Lisa's shoulders and rested at the back of the blonde's neck.

"You." Lisa replied with a smirk. She wrapped her own arms around Jennie's waist.

"Well, that's funny because I'm thinking about you too." Jennie leaned down and captured her wife's lips for a short kiss.

"I'm going to miss this house, you know." The blonde suddenly turned serious, letting nostalgia hit her as her eyes roamed her surroundings.

"I know." Jennie whispered against Lisa's lips, her fingers playing with the strands of blonde hair.

"We've got so many memories here."

Jennie pulled back a little so she could look straight into her wife's eyes.

"And I'll never forget them. But our family's getting bigger. We're starting anew and we can create new memories with our children."

"Aren't they awesome?" Lisa's eyes turned her eyes away from Jennie to their children who were giggling as Jisoo and Nayeon teamed up on making them laugh.

Jennie's eyes followed her wife's gaze and arched an eyebrow at the rapport between Jisoo and Nayeon that she ignored before. When she looked back at Lisa, the blonde had that 'I told you so' look on her face.

Jennie just laughed.

"What can I say? They have awesome parents." The actress said.

Lisa smiled.

"Most especially their mommy."

Jennie brushed Lisa's hair away from her face.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Jennie pressed her forehead against Lisa's.

"Trust me, I know."

Jennie chuckled.

"I love you so much, Lili."

"I love you more, Jennie."

"Hmm, impossible."

"And why is that?"

"Because I love you times infinity and more." Jennie placed a short kiss on Lisa's lips.

"Wow, aren't we lame?"

They stayed like that on the sun lounger, not caring about their friends seeing since they were probably so used to them by now. There were times when they even made out in front of them when they couldn't control themselves.

"Hey Jennie! Are you trying to get your wife pregnant again?" Jimin called out from the pool.

"Shut up, Jimin!" Jennie glared playfully at her friend who just laughed.

She heard him high-fiving with Namjoon and she just had to roll her eyes.

_Men._

"Although, that doesn't sound like a bad idea." Jennie joked as she whispered in her wife's ear. "What do you think about the name Yun?" She pulled back again, enough to see Lisa's reaction.

"Whoah slow down, tiger. We've only discussed Minho and Ella, babe. Don't get way over your head here. It's hard enough chasing after Minho. Ella's going to reach that stage soon and now, you want to add a third?"

"I was kidding." Jennie grinned.

Lisa pondered for a moment before speaking again.

"Maybe in the future. When Minho is like, already in college or something." Lisa said as she brushed the hair that dangled on her wife's face.

Jennie chuckled.

"I hope we're not menopause by then."

Feeling the need to go to the bathroom, Lisa attempted to get Jennie off of her but Jennie stopped her.

"No, don't let go yet. I've been away too long and I missed you so much, honey. Just let me hold you a little longer." Jennie wrapped her arms tighter around her wife and buried her face in blonde locks.

At last, the Batwoman and Justice League franchise were over which meant she didn't have to be gone for weeks, sometimes months, filming blockbuster movies.

Smiling, Lisa mimicked Jennie's actions and tightened her hold on her wife.

"You can hold me as long as you want, sweetheart."

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

Lisa had just strapped their kids in the backseat of the Range Rover when she found Jennie standing in their front lawn with a few pieces of paper in her hands. They were moving that day. Their new house in the O.C. was ready and they even had clothes there. They packed only a few important personal things that they'd need. Bambam and Chaeyoung agreed to drive the Tesla on another day.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lisa asked as she approached the brunette.

"Yup." Jennie pulled out a lighter and began burning the paper.

It was the first draft of their contract that they'd completely forgotten about.

Lisa wrapped her arms around Jennie's waist and stood behind her wife, watching as the papers burned. Jennie only let go of the papers when all the text were burned and the fire was about to reach her hand.

"You're never getting out of this marriage, ever." Jennie smiled at her wife.

"Good. Because I _never_ wanted out." Lisa kissed the top of Jennie's head and headed to the Range Rover.

When Jennie followed on got on the driver's seat of the car, she noticed her wife staring at her, a suspicious look on her face. Like she had just realized something.

"What?" The actress asked.

"I told you not to smoke again. You know I don't like tasting the nicotine when I kiss you." Lisa suddenly had suspicion that Jennie had snuck in a smoke earlier that morning.

Jennie frowned.

"But I didn't smoke. I've stopped a long time ago, you know that, sweetheart."

"Then why do you still have a lighter?" Lisa narrowed her eyes at her wife.

"I can't just throw this away. And it comes in handy sometimes. Like when I had to burn that contract. And that time when we threw that pool party, Nayeon needed to smoke and she didn't bring any lighter."

Lisa didn't look like she believed Jennie. The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Well, there's only one way to find out if I'm telling the truth, right? Kiss me." Jennie dared.

Without hesitation, Lisa grabbed the back of Jennie's neck and kissed her.

And she tasted like heaven.

Jennie felt Lisa smiling into the kiss and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Mama!"

The couple reluctantly pulled apart and turned their eyes to their son who was squirming in the backseat.

"I'mma pee!"

Jennie chuckled.

"You're a pee?" She joked.

Minho was stretching the seatbelt as he continued squirming, his face contorting.

"Mommy, bathroom!"

Lisa chuckled when her son called out to her after Jennie tried to joke with him.

"Well, maybe you should get our son to the bathroom before something happens that stops us from going again." Jennie told Lisa.

"Fate is telling us to stay."

"No, honey. Fate is telling us not to forget where WE began." Jennie countered.

It wasn't easy leaving the house where the two of them fell in love.

On their first night at their enormous new house in the O.C., Minho didn't want to sleep alone.

Lisa and Jennie were curled up on their bed. Lisa had her arms wrapped around her wife, holding her close to her, while Jennie nuzzled her wife's neck. That was when Minho came running into their room, jumping into their bed. He got in the middle of his parents, forcing them to pull away to give space for him.

Lisa smiled at her son and brushed his dark locks away from his face.

"Hey snuggle bug, what are you doing here?" Jennie asked.

The pleading pair of doe brown eyes looked up at his mama.

"I can't sleep."

"Did you try that thing Auntie Yeji taught you? Counting sheep?" Lisa asked. Minho nodded.

"It didn't work mommy."

"You need to sleep kiddo." Lisa said.

"Can I sleep here, mama?" Minho pouted.

And with that, Jennie was a goner.

Lisa and Jennie exchanged looks.

Jennie looked frustrated.

Lisa looked amused.

Jennie let out a deep sigh.

"Of course, sweetie." Jennie nodded.

Lisa got up to get their little princess from her room and when she got back, she set Ella next to Minho, both in the middle of them.

With the children in between them, they'd have to postpone their plans on christening their new bedroom to another night.

"Love you Mama. Love you Mommy. And I love you, Ella." Minho kissed his sister and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Minho. Mama and mommy love you and Ella soooooo much." Lisa and Jennie kissed their children on top of their heads.

Lisa and Jennie lay quietly, waiting for their children to fall asleep. With the kids in-between them now peacefully sleeping, Jennie and Lisa just lay there, staring at each other. They intertwined their hands. Then they leaned in for a short kiss.

"I love you, Lili." Jennie whispered against her wife's lips.

"I love you, Jennie."

And then they slept together, as a family, in their new home for the first time.

In Tuesday's With Morrie, Mitch Albom said:

Life is a series of pulls back and forth... A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band. Most of us live somewhere in the middle. A wrestling match... Which side win? Love wins.

Love always wins.

**THE END**


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